WI must overcome psychological disadvantage in England

I HAVE been reading very carefully interviews by some West Indian cricketers and also, quite interestingly, by two of the assistant coaches. These interviews surround West Indies’ (WI) chances in the three-Test series scheduled to start in England on July 8, at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

The first Test carries the most importance in a series simply because that is when the mark is set and advantage gained. One can dictate the pace from there. A win in the first Test is even more vital because the team that jumps out front with a win would be in a position to hold their lead more comfortably by planning their strategy in such a manner as to keep ahead.

Owing to the safety measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, one of which includes no spectators at matches, cricket administrators and cricketers worldwide will be paying particular attention. They will be observing both teams closely and their reactions on the field of play, after being locked down in hotels at the grounds where the games are being played. Pressures on the players through frustration and boredom are worse than the joy and excitement of showing off one’s skills in the presence of thousands.

The WI group are staying at the Old Trafford ground in Manchester.

The English team, however, are staying at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton – the venue of the critical first Test on July 8.

And their preparations are taking place at this crucial setting. That is using home advantage, and nothing’s wrong with that, but our coaching staff must be aware of it and move their players down to Southampton at the earliest opportunity, to soak up some of its atmosphere and organise essential practice sessions on site. If not, the players would not know what hit them from the first day’s play.

Unless they recognise this as a psychological ploy of their opponents then they are very unaware of the sensibilities attached to a Test series and the way England approach their cricket.

The second and third Tests are listed for the Old Trafford ground in Manchester on July 16-20 and 24-28. One would think that WI would have the advantage for these two games. However, they are playing in England and the English players are more familiar with the fields of Old Trafford. Thus, the first Test advantage is what they seek and one must be aware to resist losing that vital Test.

England wants to regain the Wisden trophy badly, having lost it in the Caribbean in early 2019, so that their overall planning would be with that in mind, regardless of the special arrangements made for the pandemic.

In none of the media interviews have I heard mentioned, by our coaches, that there will be a psychological disadvantage to WI having practised at Old Trafford for a month with match practice against their own opposition only. Thus, they ought to move down to Southampton as soon as possible, to acclimatise to conditions in the south of England. It makes a big difference, I can attest from experience. It’s not as if they’ve been playing cricket regularly.

Besides that, I’m happy with the way the work ethic is being extracted from the team members, all of whom I sincerely hope will be fit and ready for the contest.

The coaches are worried about the batting, as well they might. There are not any dependable batsmen in the line-up. A few years ago Kraigg Brathwaite was a main man in the opening position, but where is he now? Because of his batting style and technique, the selectors ignore him for the limited-overs games. And his Test average for the past two years is less than 20.

Then there is Shai Hope, a batsman who blends defence and attack with ease and style. Although he has been having a good run in ODIs, his Test cricket innings since he scored two centuries at Leeds on the previous English tour in 2017, have been disappointing. His Test average is 27.23 and ODIs 55.52. The other batsmen are talented but not dependable.

The bowling, on the other hand, is commendable. A fit Shannon Gabriel would make a difference with his extra pace. Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph and skipper Jason Holder would be a useful attack. Roston Chase would have to bowl his off-breaks as his proven batsmanship skills and experience are superior to Rahkeem Cornwall’s, and batsmen are needed badly.