Saturday, February 5, 2011

CALYPSO KINGS

A team with the likes of Gayle, Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Bravo, Pollard etc. ranked number eight in the ICC ODI rankings is really hard to believe. The West Indies have got some really dangerous names in their line-up but somehow do not manage to produce the results. They are a team that can amaze you today and disappoint you tomorrow. They have managed some reasonable success in the shortest format of the game, but longer the format gets, the smaller their achievements. They may not have won anything substantial in the last few years but they are still a very dangerous side.

Everyone remembers the great West Indies’ sides of the seventies and the eighties. Seldom do you see a squad with so many great names in it. When you looked at their batting, there was simply no respite as one strokemaker came after another and once you were batting the pace bowlers were very difficult to get across. To be fair, such a golden period for a team comes only once in a century or two. You cannot compare the current West Indies team to those world beaters, it would be simply unfair. The current squad has no dearth of talent, in fact talent is in abundance but they have faced quite a few problems in the last few years for example the player-board dispute.

When one looked at the team of the yesteryears you would say that the batting and the bowling were equally strong. If they batted first the batsmen would pile the runs and the bowlers wouldn’t have the difficulty in defending. When they put you in to bat the bowlers would bowl you out and the batsmen would then make merry chasing small totals. The current squad has the batsmen and the power hitters but it lacks the firepower in their bowling. Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor at one time seemed to form a good pair but then both lost their respective places owing to injuries etc. The men representing the Caribbean are:

1. Darren Sammy (Captain)
2. Carlton Baugh (wicket-keeper)
3. Chris Gayle
4. Ramnaresh Sarwan
5. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
6. Keiron Pollard
7. Adrian Barath
8. Dwayne Bravo
9. Darren Bravo
10. Ravi Rampaul
11. Andre Russell
12. Kemar Roach
13. Nikita Miller
14. Sulieman Benn
15. Devon Smith

The new captain Darren Sammy has a lot to prove this World Cup. He has just been appointed the captain replacing Chris Gayle and has to really justify the selectors call. The rain ruined series in Sri Lanka hasn’t provided him with much opportunity to show his leadership skills and therefore the World Cup would be his first major test. I think the selectors have taken the right decision by recalling Ramnaresh Sarwan. He is a kind of a player who can provide stability along with Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Barath is a new upcoming talent and has shown that he has the ability to do well at the highest level. The second Bravo brother is another new face and we have to wait and watch if his Lara like resemblance continues in India. The surprising thing for me is that they have chosen two left arm spinners. Benn and Miller have been chosen as their spinning options. They should have gone for variety and chosen an off spinner or a leggie. I think they want Gayle to play the role of the off spinner but one must remember that he is a part timer and shouldn’t be burdened with too many bowling responsibilities.

The batting order seems to be settled. Gayle, Barath, Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Pollard, Baugh and Sammy will handle the batting. Sammy is one batsman who I think is under rated and on his day he can be really destructive. This line-up has quite a few game changers and for them to succeed they would have to bat around Sarwan and Chanderpaul. These two would have to take the responsibility of anchoring the innings and set the platform for the likes of the Bravos and Pollard to go berserk.
The problem for the team management would come when they have to choose the bowling. Roach seems to be a certainty but they have to take a call whether they want to play Rampaul or Russell. Similarly they would also have to choose between Benn and Miller for the spinner’s spot. Roach and either Rampaul or Russell would open the bowling with Sammy coming in first change. He would be followed by the spinner they opt for. Dwayne Bravo, Gayle and Pollard would have to contribute as bowlers and bowl the overs for the fifth bowler.

STRENGTHS:
1. Sarwan and Chanderpaul: When these two get in, you can’t get them out even if you bowl with a golf ball. Once they are in it becomes almost difficult to dislodge them and thus the rest of the batting order would have to bat around them to post a good total on the board.
2. The presence of match winners: Gayle, Pollard and Dwayne Bravo posses the abilities to win matches single handedly. Gayle would provide a breezy start and Bravo would then continue the momentum in the middle overs. In the final stages it is left to Pollard to take on the bowling. Batting aside, Pollard and Bravo can be very effective with the ball as well but only if it is their day.

WEAKNESSES:
1. Lack of bowling firepower: The West Indies bowling doesn’t seem to have the firepower to really challenge the opposition. Kemar Roach was in good touch last year but hasn’t managed anything of note since then. Rampaul can be lethal but it all depends how well he can combine with Roach.

MY PREDICTION:
They shouldn’t have any difficulties going through to the quarterfinals. Cricket is a funny old game and who knows if they may pull off a win in the quarters and progress further but for that to happen their bowling has to click.

WARM UP FIXTURES:
1. Versus Kenya at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. On February 12 at 09:30 AM Sri Lankan Time (same as IST).
2. Versus Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. On February 15 at 02:30 PM Sri Lankan Time.

GROUP FIXTURES:
1. Versus South Africa at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. On February 24 at 02:30 PM IST.
2. Versus Netherlands at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. On February 28 at 02:30 PM IST.
3. Versus Bangladesh at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Bangladesh. On March 4 at 02:30 PM Bangladesh Time (02:00 PM IST).
4. Versus Ireland at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali. On March 11 at 09:30 AM IST.
5. Versus England at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. On March 17 at 02:30 PM IST.
6. Versus India at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. On March 20 at 02:30 PM IST.

RECORD IN PREVIOUS TOURNAMENTS:
1975: Champions. Beat Australia in the final.
1979: Champions. Beat England in the final.
1983: Runners-up. Lost to India in the final.
1987: Eliminated in the first round.
1992: Eliminated in the first round.
1996: Semifinalists. Lost to Australia in the semifinal (what a game that was).
1999: Eliminated in the first round.
2003: Eliminated in the first round.
2007: Eliminated in the super eights.

MOST RUNS: Brian Lara. 1225 runs in 34 matches at an average of 42.24

MOST WICKETS: Courtney Walsh. 27 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 20.25.

1 comment:

  1. Well written Nishad! Pollard hasnt really shown any of his big hitting skills in international cricket. Now is the best time for him flat tracks and small grounds should be ideal for him. Their bowling definitely is a big weakness other than roach no one seems to be really good, but roach with his express pace can be really expensive in the subcontinent. So I guess the bowlers will just bowl them out of the tournament !

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