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It’s quite overbearing now to continue hearing from the coaches and certain senior players on the West Indies (WI) team the constant chatter about the pitches in Bangladesh.
Before they left, while there, and no doubt after they return, we will be subject to the same vexatious excuses. Pitches have nothing to do with it, the team is either good enough or they’re not. How many times, the excuse of slow pitches or turning wickets and the Bangladeshi slow bowlers, have to be endured for us to get the picture.
I really can’t recall so many complaints being made before a series begins as I have heard for this particular tour of Bangladesh.
When this type of defence is put forward even before a ball is bowled then harm is being done to the confidence of the team.
The experienced players having withdrawn, the selectors had no choice but to choose untried cricketers, plus others with very little understanding and knowledge of the conditions. However, some of those same experienced players who stood down from touring Bangladesh, are at present playing cricket in a T10 tournament in Abu Dhabi. Is that country covid19 free?
The WI coaches should have stood tall to build self-confidence and determination in the recruits. Rather, they took the road of excuse, complaint, moaning and grumbling, using meaningless phrases, giving themselves reasons for failure and disaster.
An international cricketer has no excuse.
He has to adjust to the prevailing conditions whatever they may be. If he has practised many hours he would learn to adapt to the variables before him and perform accordingly.
He would know if the pitch were too slow he would have to bowl on a different length. Also, the batsmen would have to adjust to playing on different surfaces.
What do they want? The cricket world to put down concrete pitches for there to be a sameness of consistent bounce throughout?
One of the great beauties of the sport is in the various types of pitches on which one plays, their diverse character in the numerous countries of competition plus the necessity for several tactical changes one has to employ whether batting or bowling.
[caption id="attachment_870520" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Bangladesh’s Mohammad Saifuddin (right) runs out West Indies’ Alzarri Joseph (left) during the third and final One-Day International (ODI) match between Bangladesh and West Indies at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Jan 25. (AFP PHOTO) -[/caption]
The first lesson a batsman has to learn in any form of cricket is to judge the pace of the pitch and its nature when he first goes in to bat.
He then assesses what strokes he should avoid and which ones can be used productively. This should be second-nature to him at this level.
I’ve seen batsmen in the 50-over games in Bangladesh making big shots without first playing themselves in and working out the risk factor. For example, there was a bowling-change in one of the games when a spinner was introduced to replace a medium-paced bowler. The West Indian batsman, not giving himself the chance to evaluate how the pitch would react to the spinner, launched into a tremendous drive only to be caught out. This is the first delivery from a changed bowler and an international batsman doesn’t know how to deal with this? I couldn’t believe it. One has to concentrate all the time. That type of approach can be forgiven if there are just a few balls remaining in the innings and there’s no time to check bounce and turn so one takes a chance.
The basis of good batsmanship is in how to construct an innings. In the three games played, the West Indian batsmen did not once survive the 50 overs.
As coach, (and there are four of them, the Head Coach and his three assistants), the first lesson for his batting team in a limited-overs game is to play out the overs.
WI were bowled out in 32.2, 43.4 and 44.2 overs. Even when they’re a few overs remaining, batsmen ought to try and play them out, although it may seem a lost cause. It means being beaten but not conquered. It builds confidence in the team for the next meeting.
The performance of this WI team was heart-rending.
The batsmen looked as if they were batting on a minefield, showing no skill nor fundamentals. I saw no sign of mental awareness. A severe shortage of confidence in approach.
Surrounded by negativism at least Akeal Hosein’s bowling was refreshing to witness. Also, Joshua Da Silva was impressive behind the stumps. However, the non-assertiveness affected the batting of all, with no batsman scoring a fifty.
A sad display.
Now, on to the Test matches.
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