Go back to basics

It doesn’t matter what format of cricket game players are participating in, there are basic rules to which they must adhere to play the game properly, in order to hold an advantage over the opposing team.

The West Indies team approached the T20 matches against their Bangladesh rivals recently with a mixture of listlessness and a lackadaisical attitude that was unbecoming of a professional cricket team.

Their miserable results in all three games served to prove how dangerous it is to approach a series in such a manner.

In T20 games I have never observed an international team with such a slack demeanour in all three, for instance, in the way the WI adopted their principles to batting, bowling and fielding techniques.

They never applied themselves to the task at hand, the matches providing a pitiful presentation of cricket in its three disciplines – obviously not knowing what procedure to adopt, plus the necessary mindset to be used, as a batsman to conquer the bowler, as a bowler to challenge the batsman and as a fieldsman to be alert to every opportunity.

It was a totally disgusting display. Consequently, the unsurprising low scores meant they were unable to achieve moderate targets. It was an exhibition of how cricket should not be played. There was a total absence of cricket intelligence.

It was so apparent that it is unbelievable that none of the grinning coaches could have rectified the slippage from cricket competence and diligence.

The saddest part of the series of three matches played in St Vincent was that the people of these beautiful islands, having packed out the ground for the three games, even after having lost the first two, had to suffer the indignity to view yet another awful display on their home soil. And they must have gone to the ground with such great expectation, having witnessed what transpired in the two previous series.

I am so proud of the support offered to WI when they were down. It was admirable and inspiring, for Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves to be present to support the team so robustly, win or lose, in all three games.

The Test series that took place in Antigua and Jamaica, which was drawn 1-1, with WI claiming victory by 201 runs and the Bangladeshis following up, winning by 101, was a moral victory for the West Indians, having won by a greater margin.

The following One-Day International series played in St Kitts was a wipe-out by three matches to nil for the WI.

One can just imagine the elation that built up in the hearts of Vincentians for the final series of the visit, consisting of three T20s, after those ODI performances.

In the T20 series, WI started off in a lethargic manner and short of fervour which was quite obvious. In any activity, but especially sporting endeavour, enthusiasm makes the difference.

The wicket assisted the bowlers during the series with seam and turn.

Because of this, the scores were below average, except in the final game, when the visitors got to 189, after Alzarri Joseph was struck for 22 in the 20th over.

Typically, WI batsmen struggle when up against pitches of this nature. Their match scores in the three losing games were 140 – lost by seven runs; 102 – lost by 27 runs; 109 – lost by 80 runs. Ironically, only in the final game was the wicket more conducive to batting, though WI managed their biggest defeat.

When the TT Cricket Board decided the head coach of the national team would also be the chairman of the national selectors , I wrote in a column at the time why I disagreed.

Now I see Cricket West Indies have gone along with the same idea.

Almost right away, one can reveal the errors of this decision.

Firstly, Daren Sammy, who is the head coach, thus a Cricket West Indies selector, drafts in Andre Fletcher to replace the injured Evin Lewis. But the 37-year-old Fletcher had not been playing cricket recently. And there were Justin Greaves and Keacy Carty warming benches. And why wasn’t Amir Jangoo considered?

These last three were the in-form batsmen in the ODIs. Have they been compartmentalised for the formats?

If so, that’s flawed thinking. A good batsman adjusts to any format required.

WI were well and truly beaten in their own backyard, despite tremendous support from spectators who stayed loyal to the end.

The coaches and selectors certainly don’t have the answer.