‘Start strong’ - Coach Simmons urges Windies batsmen to get going early in England

MANCHESTER, England (CMC):

Head coach Phil Simmons wants his batsmen to hit the ground running from the first Test to avoid West Indies having to play catch-up in the three-Test series, which bowls off here next month.

With concerns already surrounding the Caribbean side’s batting, Simmons said he hoped the senior players would be at their best from the start, as West Indies chase their first series in England in 32 years.

“I think most of the senior batsmen are seasoned players,” Simmons told reporters via Zoom from Old Trafford.

“Mentally I think they’re tough, but I think we just need to continue working on our skills, because I think, when you look back at Kraigg, Roston and Shai, they’re mentally tough because they’ve done it at this level, so it’s about making sure they’re sharp and ready to go in the first game.

“We’ve had occasions when we’ve toured and only after the first game we start really playing cricket, so it’s something we’re trying to get out of our system and make sure we are ready and raring to go when we get to Southampton.”

West Indies were guilty of a slow start on their last tour here three years ago, when they were rolled over cheaply for under 200 in each innings, to slump to an embarrassing innings-and-209-run defeat inside three days at Edgbaston.

And while they bounced back with a stunning win at Leeds in the second Test to level the series, they crumbled to a nine-wicket loss at Lord’s in the final Test.

That series defeat extended the Windies’ poor record in England, but Simmons said the side was highly motivated to alter that history.

“It’s only two weeks before the first Test match and preparation has to go to the next level, so we’ve started that today.”