Thursday, December 16, 2010

A few positives from the Sri Lanka tour

Hello folks, it’s been a while since I dropped in – more than three weeks in fact. In that time the waterlogged ERI Test series between the West Indies and Sri Lanka came to an end and the limited-over leg of the tour was postponed. The second and third Tests were reduced to 213 and 103 overs respectively by rain which also forced the ODIs’ postponement. Despite the severe abbreviation however there was time for some positives.

The performances of two of the youngest members of the team stand out most conspicuously. Kemar Roach showed he is quickly learning what it takes to compete at the highest level. His Man-of-the-Series haul of 10 wickets was achieved in conditions unhelpful to fast bowlers and with little in terms of pace support at the other end. Though it is early yet his relative success reminds me of the great Malcolm Marshall who did not let the unresponsive surfaces of the sub-continent affect his production level. I’m excited to see how Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards perform when they return to full fitness since I believe that trio could be a lethal combination.

I said at the start of the series that I was still waiting for Darren Bravo to impress me. After the first test he was well on the way to doing that and went even further in the remaining games when he scored two more half-centuries. However, just as the surfaces in Sri Lanka could be unhelpful to fast bowlers it could be quite accommodating to batsmen and he will win me over totally when I see him succeed on some faster tracks. Having said that, given his confidence and poise - and if I were a betting man - I would wager that he’ll pass that test with flying colours.

Not as conspicuous was the performance of Brendan Nash who continued to be his usual reliable self in his usual unobtrusive way. His level-headedness in the middle-order has proven to be most valuable ever since his debut and, if Shivnarine Chanderpaul is indeed on his last legs as some are wont to believe, then his value could very well be magnified.

Chris Gayle flattered to deceive with his monumental 333 in the first Test when fans were salivating at the prospect of him overtaking Brian Lara’s record of 688 in a three-test series. Sadly, in three additional innings, he failed to carry his aggregate to 400. It was as if, as hinted at elsewhere, he felt he had done enough to prevent the WICB from treating him the way they “treated Sarwan for standing up and talking out”. One would sincerely hope that is not the case.

Some mention must also be made here of Carlton Baugh who was playing his first Test for six years. His wicket-keeping still needs a bit of work but the application he showed during his half-century in the Second Test says to me he is keen to grab this particular opportunity with both hands.

The reporting of Shane Shillingford for a suspect action may have thrown the off-spinner off his game after a good First Test performance. As noted before however, I think he will pass the examinations and be once again available for selection.


I cannot close without once again touching on the Darren Sammy captaincy issue and the legitimacy of his place in the team. In my opinion anybody can be a captain but few can be a leader, and in the current West Indies setup there is definitely a paucity of leaders. The WICB has obviously seen some leadership qualities in Sammy and are hoping he is the one to spearhead the revival of West Indies cricket. It is definitely a gamble and for the sake of WI cricket I hope it works. 

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