Coach Andre Coley: Windies must take control early vs Pakistan

WEST INDIES coach Andre Coley said the flexibility of his squad will enhance the regional team's chances when they face Pakistan in the first of two Test matches at the Multan Cricket Stadium from 12.30 am (TT time) on January 17.

The series will be Coley's last in charge of the Test team and will also be the Windies' final series in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. Windies white-ball coach Daren Sammy will take over the reins of the Test team from April 1.

With three specialist spinners in his squad, to go along with three fast bowlers in Kemar Roach and the TT pair of Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales, Coley thinks his team has found the right balance to counter the hosts.

"We have a clear plan in our mind as you look at the make-up of our squad. The squad gives us the option to go either way with pace or spin, so we have that flexibility in the squad," Coley told reporters, in a video released by Cricket West Indies on January 15.

Coley said he doesn't want to focus too much on the pitch conditions, and reckons his team can stay in the game for long periods if they believe in themselves and the work they would have done in the buildup to the series.

Pakistan lost their last Test series by a 2-0 margin away to South Africa. In their last home Test series against England from October-November last year, though, Pakistan got a 2-1 comeback win – including a 152-run victory in the second Test at Multan. In that match, off-spinner Sajid Khan and left-arm spinner Noman Ali accounted for all 20 English wickets.

Both men have been included in Pakistan's 15-man squad for the Windies series as the hosts look keen to adopt a spin-heavy approach.

"I don't want to comment too much on the pitch. The series between England and Pakistan is history and there's a lot we can take from it.

"The playing and coaching of cricket, you can always set targets and numbers. What actually matters is what happens on the day.

"It's really about backing our skills, being present in the moment and staying in the game as long as possible and trying to control the game for as long as possible. That's what we're focusing on. Obviously, we have the history of scores here, but like anything else, history can be made," Coley said.

He said there were both good and disappointing performances from his team in 2024, and it's important for the players to learn from what transpired to kick on to better things.

"It's a new environment for the new players as well. It's about...trusting the preparation and keep learning – and learning quickly.

"The past is the past. What we've been able to do is obviously look at what has happened in the past and see potentially what's in front of us and almost anticipate what's to come. Our aim here in this series is to actually prepare in such a way – based on the squad Pakistan has selected – that we're in a position to negotiate and gain control of the game early and control throughout."

On West Indies' last tour to Pakistan in 2006, the regional team fell to a 2-0 loss, with the team's playing to a high-scoring draw in Multan. The Windies rattled off a score of 591 in the second Test, with batting legend Brian Lara scoring 216.

Coley was asked about Lara's feat and what his innings on the Multan pitch can mean for his squad going into the series.

"There's no doubt that Brian Lara is an icon for West Indies cricket and in world cricket. He's scored runs all around the world. I wasn't here when he scored that double-hundred and I had no idea what that pitch looked like," Coley said.

"I can't comment on how he would have...whatever surface you're given, there's a level of application that's required."

The second Test between the teams will be played from January 25-29.

West Indies Test squad for Pakistan:

Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Joshua Da Silva (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Amir Jangoo, Mikyle Louis, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican.