Pooran asks for patience, ponders own form

GEORGETOWN, (CMC):

CAPTAIN NICHOLAS Pooran has urged patience with his young One-Day International side, stressing they needed time to find their footing in the format as they prepare to face Bangladesh in the opening fixture of the three-match series here today.

West Indies swept minnows the Netherlands 3-0 last month in Pooran’s first series in charge but then suffered a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Pakistan in Multan later that month.

The Caribbean side has won just three of their last 10 ODI series and lie ninth in the International Cricket Council rankings, only above Afghanistan, Ireland and Scotland.

“There are a lot of new guys in the team. I think we definitely need to play together more as a group and just have patience,” Pooran told a media conference yesterday.

“I just think that the ODI format is in between the Test and the T20, and mindsets keep changing. I think we just need to get the right mindset, the right template for this format, and stick with it for a bit.

“We’re looking forward to this Bangladesh series to settle on the right things and hopefully we’re successful at the end of the three games.”

West Indies have dominated Bangladesh for the entire tour, sweeping the two-Test series and winning the Twenty20 International series 2-0 after the first game was washed out.

However, the hosts have lost their last three ODI series against Bangladesh and eight of the last 10 outings to the Asian side, and now face a challenge to turn around that poor recent record.

Pooran conceded one of the critical areas in the series will be how West Indies’ batsmen negate the visitors’ spin threat.

“We’re just taking it ball by ball. We spoke as a group in the T20 [series] how we want to play and we had a chat again today about how we want to play their spinners in this ODI series,” said Pooran.

“We’re hoping that goes well and we won’t have this conversation [about playing spin] after this series.

He added: “It’s all about discipline from our side and trying our best to stick to our game plans. We need to play the game the right way. They have good players as well and we need to respect that they are good players.

ANYONE’S GAME

“It can be anyone’s game on the day. So we just need to continue doing the right things for a long period of time and we’ll be fine.”

Pooran’s form in the series will come under the microscope. While the left-hander has punched four half-centuries in his last five T20 International innings, he averages only 13 from 12 ODIs this year, with a high score of 34.

He managed only 24 runs in three innings against the Netherlands and 57 in another three appearances against Pakistan, but believes a turnaround is imminent.

“I’ve felt for the last six to nine games I haven’t performed for West Indies in the batting in the ODI format, and that is one of my favourite formats as well,” he noted.

“I just need to get back the right mindset, how to bat in 50-over cricket. I think, once I can get that right mindset again, I can start back doing well for West Indies in ODI cricket.”

SQUADS:

West Indies – Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (vice captain), Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein,Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd

Bangladesh – Tamim Iqbal (captain), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Litton Das, Nurul Hasan, Anamul Haque, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Ebadot Hossain, Nasum Ahmed