Lot of work to be done - Past players, analyst weigh in on West Indies struggles

Former West Indies players Ian Bishop, Daren Ganga, and renowned cricket commentator Barry Wilkinson believe there is much work to be done if the West Indies will ever return to a point where they can compete against the best teams in the world.

The trio admitted that many varying factors are currently affecting the regional side, and that a firm and comprehensive long-term plan is the only solution.

The West Indies went winless in the just-concluded series against India, losing all but one game in the ODI series, which was affected by rain.

Barbadian Wilkinson said a three to four-year plan is required rather than different individuals tinkering with their thoughts.

“The West Indies have not put together a proper plan in six years and we have had to be dealing with a lot of chopping and changing. Not only players should look at themselves in the mirror, administrators need to do so as well and come up with a workable long-term plan,” Wilkinson said.

Wilkinson added that the mental aspect of the team needs urgent attention despite the West Indies employing a sports psychologist in Steven Sylvester.

“I don’t think that the sports psychologist is helping this team any at all. This is the same team that did so well against England a couple of months ago, and now players are getting out the same way and not performing at their optimum,” Wilkinson added.

ABUNDANCE OF TALENT

West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop, who represented the region between 1989 and 1997, admitted that the batting issue in the team is a major concern; however, he is more optimistic about the future of the game in the region, with many young talented players coming through.

“I believe we have an abundance of talent that is coming through that needs to be harnessed. When you look at players such as Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Springer, you feel that the future looks bright. What we need, however, is to invest in the younger players from an early age and get the best-qualified coaches at the under-15 and under-19 levels to teach batsmanship and bowling to the youths,” Bishop shared.

Bishop added that the best strength and conditioning coaches should also be introduced at the domestic level, so that we have better-prepared players coming through at the international stage.

Meanwhile, former West Indies opening batsman Daren Ganga added that while the team has been good in spurts and our bowling is improving, he would recommend a wholesale change and approach to the regional first-class structure to get the best talent for international duties.

“I want to speak specifically to our Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams. Instead of spending all our resources on a regional four-day championships, I believe it would benefit us more if we played three to four first-class games and select the best 45 players and bring them together, and have them play against themselves on a regular basis in a more competitive environment instead of an ‘A’ team tour. I believe we would get better value with that kind of initiative,” Ganga said.