By Akeem Greene
The planning and tactics of the West Indies team at the ongoing World T20 in the United Arab Emirates is a cause for concern, says former captain Sir Clive Lloyd.
The two-time champions had a shambolic start to their title defence – bowled out for 55 and steamrolled by England, then thumped by eight wickets against South Africa – and it leaves their progress to the semi-finals hanging by a thread.
Sir Clive raised his concerns while speaking on Tuesday evening on the Barbados radio programme, Mason and Guest.
“Their planning seems to be all over the place and I think if you look at what has happened, 55 runs; no we are better than that,” he expressed.
“Our planning seems to be terrible. We had a wonderful start [against South Africa] and we didn’t promote people in the proper order. You would expect the captain to come up when you are going at nine and over, to continue. You send [Nicholas] Pooran who has not been playing well and you have [Shimron] Hetmyer who is batting quite well and making some very good scores. So, the batting order seems to be all over the place,” Sir Clive added.
West Indies have soaked up 115 dot balls (19.1 overs) out of the 34.2 overs they have batted to date and the man who led West Indies to 50-over World Cup titles in 1975 and 1979, said the game plan seems just about hitting sixes.
“… somewhere along the line we feel that this game is about hitting sixes [and] we are getting caught on the boundary; this is a big ground. “
Additionally, the 77-year-old felt that more preparation should have been done as a group leading into the tournament.
After the Caribbean Premier League ended on September 15, several players went off to the Indian Premier League and joined the team in the UAE after the conclusion of the IPL on October 17.
West Indies Super 12 action started October 24, however, with the exception of Roston Chase and Ravi Rampaul, the other players were together for the four home series, before the start of CPL.
“If you have a World Cup to play, our players should congregate three weeks before for a camp. You cannot have your senior players all over the place. These guys are earning good money and fine, but there comes a time when enough is enough, you must come and play for your country,” Sir Clive contended.
“You must make it important playing for your country, although you are earning well and I think that is what we have to do, get our players playing at home in our Four-Day cricket.”
Sir Lloyd contended that Four-Day cricket improves a player’s One-Day game, noting “we have to play more Four-Day cricket, it improves your thinking, batting [and] timing.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves viewed the West Indies’ team synergy, well lack thereof, as “atomised individualism.”
“They can only come together if they begin to see themselves as part of an outfit as a team in solidarity with one another and with the community to whom they owe a profound obligation, and they are not acting in social solidarity, and they are not acting with one another as a team.”
Prime Minister Gonsalves went on to state, “We get these very annoying excuses which are really insulting to most of us who look to the community for sustenance, who look for solidarity to be uplifted and I am not getting that and it is painful.”
At virtual media conferences, more of than not, the team’s management has not been pellucid concerning matters of tactics or selection.
Recently, a Guyanese journalist seeking clarity on West Indies selection matters was met by a forthright Kieron Pollard, with the West Indies T20 captain calling for support, rather than constant questioning from the media.
