Haynes: There are no easy Test match victories
Published:Friday | February 17, 2023 | 1:17 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
FOLLOWING the West Indies’ men’s 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe in their recently concluded Test series, chief selector of the senior men’s team, Desmond Haynes, says much isn’t being said about the team when they perform well, especially in an away Test series. Haynes said with the cricketing countries all looking to improve their game, there are no easy Test match victories.
“Away Test matches aren’t easy to win. It doesn’t matter who you are playing against. I keep saying that every time that we are playing away from home. There are no easy Test matches as the way cricket is being played around the world now, we got to look for wins as we go along and try and get up in the ratings,” Haynes said.
As another away series looms for the West Indies, this time up against number four-ranked South Africa, set to start on February 28, Haynes stated that Jamaica top order batsman Brandon King has indicated to him that he wants to be part of the Windies Test match set-up as the longer format of the game is indeed his first love.
“Brandon did indicate that when he started (playing cricket), his love was for Test cricket, the longer version of the game, but then he went on to do good in the T20s and the shorter format of the game, and that was it. We believe that he can be part of our batting line-up for Test matches,” said Haynes.
To date, King has played a total of 20 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies, scoring three half-centuries with a highest score of 91 not out and an average of 23.94. In the T20 version, King has played 32 matches, scoring six half-centuries at an average of 26.57.
Haynes said that the process of involving ‘white-ball’ players in the Test team will be a combined effort between management and players. The idea of asking the players to state their availability at the start of the cricket year is also an idea that he is contemplating.
“What we (selectors) should do at the beginning of every year is ask these guys to state their availability to play cricket for West Indies so that when they look at the schedule, they could then say, ‘Yes, I would give up a T20 to play ‘A’-team cricket or four-day cricket at home, but it is something that we need to work hand-in-hand with the players,” Haynes believes.
“We have no intention of stopping people from making money, so if guys are unavailable because they are involved in other T20s around the world, it is difficult for me to ask them to renegotiate on their commitments,” Haynes stated.