Simmons pleased with Windies improvement
Published:Monday | July 19, 2021 | 12:09 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has been feeling much happier recently as he has begun to see his team put in the type of performances that reflect their status as World Twenty20 (T20) champions.
The regional side is coming off a 4-1 T20 series win over Australia in St Lucia, with Nicholas Pooran ably deputising to secure its first series win over its rivals since the teams played to a 1-1 draw a decade ago.
The Windies got contributions from all the players, with Evin Lewis and Lendl Simmons starting at the top of the order, to Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell, Fabian Allen, and Dwayne Bravo contributing with the bat.
It was a complete turnaround for the batting unit since the series loss to South Africa, and Simmons says the players are now getting it right.
“As a unit, we are starting to understand each other’s game a little bit more,” he said. “It is also about understanding your role and working at situations, and these are the things that we have spoken about a lot and we are now putting them in place.”
Simmons is also pleased with the team’s out-cricket, with the bowlers, led by the series top wicket-taker Hayden Walsh Jr, showing their class against a resolute Australian side.
“They all performed well,” he said. “I think the good thing about this series is that in different games, different people came out as the ones leading. They have all played their part on occasions, and that’s been the nice thing about the team.”
Simmons and the Windies now turn their attention to the three-match One-Day International series against the Aussies, which starts in Barbados tomorrow.
WINNING TREND
With a new format, Simmons expects an even tougher fight from the Australians, but he is hoping that the team can continue its winning trend in the 50-over version of the game.
“Every series you go into, you are looking to win all three games,” he said. “The Australians are not going to be an easy target. They play well in all formats and they are going to be coming stronger after losing the T20 series. We have to make sure that we continue what we finished in the Sri Lanka series.”
The Australians will be hoping for the recovery of their captain, Aaron Finch, who is said to be carrying a knee injury that he picked up in the final T20 match.
Matthew Wade would be the one to step in as captain if Finch doesn’t recover in time.
Ben McDermott, carrying a quad injury, and Ashton Agar, with a hamstring issue, are two other Aussies out of action.