I recall the tremendous Australia/West Indies Test match of January 2024 and the wonderful win that the West Indies team managed to secure from an almost losing position, thanks to Guyanese fast bowler Shamar Joseph, which gave the WI its sole win over the Australians in two decades. What a fantastic achievement and excellent solo performance by Joseph.
He removed seven Aussie batsmen in the second innings for 68 runs to claim victory for WI by just eight runs. It was the second match in a two-Test series that helped WI to draw the series, as the men from Down Under had won the first Test. Brisbane was the city and the ground is popularly known as the Gabba.
It was an unbelievable performance by a young, inexperienced fast bowler who was participating in his first Test series. The wicket was a tough one on which to bat and both teams struggled. This was hardly mentioned, probably forgotten in the pleasant shock of an unexpected victory.
In January of the following year, when Pakistan were the opponents, a similar result took place with the series being played in Pakistan, on some of the most terrible, under-prepared pitches anyone could imagine would be prepared for a Test. WI lost the first Test, and at the time, one couldn’t envisage the visitors having the slightest chance to recover to draw the series. Mirpur was the city where it was played, plus they were also the hosts for the first Test.
The point I’m making here is that there was no complaint by the West Indian coach, Andre Coley, nor the captain, Kraigg Brathwaite, after going under in the first Test of both series. After the first game that WI lost, there was no negative feedback from the coach or captain. The players got on with the job at hand under the inspiration of these two gentlemen, who showed they understood the game of cricket thoroughly.
Within a few months Brathwaite and Coley were removed from their positions and replaced by Darren Sammy, one who has proven that he does not understand the intricacies of the sport and I don’t only mean Test cricket, which needs most cricket intelligence, but the format of limited-overs cricket (popularly known as white-ball cricket) where he gesticulates often from beyond the boundary to his players on the field, mostly adding to their confusion, than being of assistance.
I quote the captain on this recent tour of Bangladesh, Shai Hope: “We understand that Bangladesh is a very, very powerful team,especially in their own conditions, so West Indies coming here in these foreign conditions, we understand the challenges and then we see what they’ve done in the recent past, so that could also be a motivation for the Bangladesh team, so we’re definitely not going to be taking that lightly.”
Sammy also talked about not taking teams lightly. I could never understand one team taking another team lightly in an international match. One never takes a competitor lightly, regardless of their record. Ridiculous!
The words they utter, especially the coach, are administering negativity in the bloodstream of the players. They start doubting themselves, feeling the wrong vibes in approaching a game in the way they should. The coach doesn’t know how to motivate and he’s lacking the inspiration for which his team hungers.
This is Sammy, “Positive…probably the batting of Shai Hope, and how he continues to put this team on his back. Every time a challenge is faced, he puts the team on his back.”
Is this encouragement to the batsmen on the team to concentrate and use some cricket intelligence? West Indians observing the poor display from home discerned the sharpness of the Bangladesh players. They have a West Indian coach in Phil Simmons, the former Test and first-class cricketer, who is doing an efficient job.
Sammy continues, “Bangladesh played very well. We didn’t match them skill for skill with ball, bat, or in the field, so they are deserved winners.”
Therefore, Sammy, do some introspection which would reveal that you are the one without the skill to give players that positive feeling, a winner’s outlook, who do not have ears to listen to how great Bangladesh cricketers are in their own conditions; and how bad the WI cricketers are on foreign soil. When all they really need is proper guidance from someone who knows how to motivate and encourage cricketers to develop their skills through tough, hard practice.
The significance of a coaching certificate.
Newsday
