They had team sessions on Friday as well as Saturday morning and afternoon and Head Coach, Phil Simmons is happy to be able to now finetune his squad’s preparation in the build-up to the two-match Test series against South Africa. These matches will be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground for the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy on June 10-14 and June 18-22 and are the final matches in the current cycle of the ICC World Test Championship. The Proteas are due to arrive on the island on Tuesday, June 1.
The West Indies players will be involved in a “Best v Best” four-day match, at the same venue beginning on Monday, May 31, and the Head Coach sees this as a great opportunity for all involved.
“I am happy that we are back to full training. We are happy with the preparations up to this point and everyone is fully aware of what is required,” Simmons said. “Yes, we had four good Test matches (vs Bangladesh and Sri Lanka), but at the same time, people need to know that their position is not guaranteed unless they continue to play well. Guys who are out, need to show that they want to get back in by doing well in these games. So, it is a benefit to every one of us.”
Simmons also praised the facilities provided in St. Lucia throughout the camp at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, which is overseen by CWI Head Groundsman, Kent Crafton. The West Indies Men are gearing up to begin a busy summer schedule, which includes visits from South Africa, Australia and Pakistan before the Caribbean Premier League begins in late August.
The players and staff were previously forced to train in small groups, as a result of the positive COVID-19 and isolation of fast bowler Marquino Mindley on Friday, May 22.
Mindley, who has already returned one negative PCR test on Thursday, remains asymptomatic and in isolation at the team hotel. The CWI medical team continues to monitor his progress, as he requires one more negative PCR test before being allowed to re-join the squad.
The full squad comprises Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Keron Cottoy, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Jahmar Hamilton, Kavem Hodge, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Paul Palmer Jr., Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales, Nial Smith, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr. and Jomel Warrican
Before Wednesday’s start to the #RaiseTheBat series at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, both West Indies and England teams announced they would wear the Black Lives Matter logo on the collars of their playing shirts.
They further demonstrated support by kneeling on the field and on the boundary.
All members of the West Indies squad also wore black gloves. In addition, a flag was flown over the team’s balcony with the composite logos of Cricket West Indies and Black Lives Matter on the traditional maroon background.
Speaking ahead of the series, West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons said:
PULLQuote: “It means a hell of a lot to all the players and all the staff on the tour. But it's not just about now, it's about life on the whole.”
The Black Lives Matter emblem was designed by Alisha Hosannah, the partner of Troy Deeney, captain of English Premier League side Watford.
He was contacted by CWI and permission was granted for the logo to be displayed on the collar according to ICC regulations.
The logo has a clenched fist in place of the letter “A” in the word “Black”. It has also been used on the shirts of all 20 Premier League clubs since football returned behind closed doors following the break for COVID-19.
World-class spinner Shakib Al Hasan and a full-strength Bangladesh made short work of the regional team in a lopsided 3-0 sweep of the ODI series last week. The Windies went into the series without several of its regular first-team players who pulled out of the tour for various reasons.
The ODI team, which was captained by Jason Mohammed, was the hardest hit, however, with at least eight players making their international team debut. With more proven campaigners like bowlers Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, and batsmen Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood, the Test team should be in better shape, in terms of experience in any case.
“It’s a big difference, we may have one, maybe two debutants for this Test series, whereas we had 10 for the ODI series. So, it’s a huge difference,” Simmons said.
“The good thing is that those guys have been down here before. On the last tour down here, Kraigg (Brathwaite) was captain, and Shannon and Roach were here. So, it’s good to have that kind of experience going into a Test series,” he added.
The West will play Bangladesh in a two-Test series, which begins on February 2nd. The second Test will take place between February 10th to 15th.
Chasing a total of 309 runs for victory, on the final day, a win seemed possible when the team entered the final break at 221 for 5, needing another 88 runs to claim victory.
The West Indies had a less-than-ideal start to the final session, however, and found themselves reduced to 273 for 8, following the dismissals of Roston Chase, Alzarri Joseph, and then Kemar Roach, in fairly quick succession.
Raymon Reifer and Joshua Da Silva then combined to help West Indies fight for the draw, playing out the final eight overs to finish on 277 for 8.
“I’m not happy with the results, we should have won it,” Simmons said following the final ball.
“We have a few misplaced wickets in the middle, while we were controlling the game, so that was a disappointment, but at the end of the day the way how the guys fought is always greatly encouraging,” he added.
With the players getting plenty of opportunities to bat and bowl in pressure situations, Simmons was though satisfied with what the tour match provided, ahead of a difficult series.
“The two games have been very good for us, mind you, flattish wickets, but the bowlers got the overs in their legs and the batsmen got their time at the crease so that was good for us.”
Chasing a sizeable 389 to win and having lost two wickets that of opener John Campbell and bowler Kemar Roach, who played the role of the night watchman, with just 10 runs on the board, the West Indies have an uphill battle. The team’s highest score for the series so far is 318, set in the first innings of the first Test.
In five innings since the team has failed to crack the 300 barrier, which a frustrated Simmons believes is partly due to getting starts but failing to carry on and post big scores. So far for the series, Kraig Brathwaite, Shane Dowrich, Shamarh Brooks and Jermaine Blackwood have all managed half-centuries but have failed to go on to triple digits.
“We haven’t had any 100s in this series yet so I’m always putting pressure on them to get it,” Simmons told members of the media via a Zoom press conference.
“It’s still a good wicket to bat on so they have to set themselves targets of getting a big 100 on this wicket. Tomorrow is only the fourth day, so we have a lot of time to bat, but we have to show the determination to get those big scores.”
In recent matches, the regional team has carved out some momentum, following up hard-fought Test series win over Bangladesh with a T20 and dominant ODI series win over Sri Lanka. Heading into the start of Sunday’s Test series, however, Simmons is far from satisfied.
“We need to improve in every area, we had a good series but there are lots of things we need to keep improving on,” Simmons told Windies cricket.
“We need to make sure we get 400 in the first innings, which is something that we are striving for every time we play. Then we have to bowl and bat even better than we did in Bangladesh,” he added.
The West Indies reached 400 first innings runs last month, in the series against Bangladesh, but reaching the total has proven to be the exception rather than the rule. Prior to that, the team got to the total against Sri Lanka in 2018.
The highest first innings total, in the last 10 years, was 590 against India in 2011, in total they have achieved the feat seven times. By comparison, Australia has achieved the feat 27 times within the same period.
Chief among that group is Sunil Narine, who was once ranked as the world’s number one spinner and a regular feature in T20 leagues around the world. Narine has not appeared in a match for the team since 2019. Also missing are the likes of big-hitter Andre Russell and Evin Lewis who have not featured for the team since last year’s T20 World Cup. Russell has been unavailable while Lewis has not taken the required fitness tests to be included in the team selections.
All three players have, however, continued to take part in the lucrative T20 leagues around the world, despite not playing for the regional team since last year's World cup debacle. Simmons admits that not having all the players the team would love to have available is not the ideal scenario but expects the cricketers to be motivated to play for the West Indies.
“I’ve made it a point of duty, anywhere that I’ve gone, I don’t think you should be begging people to play for their country,” Simmons told members of the media on Tuesday.
“I think if you want to represent the West Indies, you make yourself available for West Indies cricket,” he added.
“Life has changed in that people have the opportunity to go to different places, if they pick that over the West Indies then that’s how it is, but it doesn’t make sense me going out there and begging you to play for the West Indies because I don’t know if you will come with as strong a heart as I want you to have.”
The West Indies are currently trailing New Zealand 1-0 in the ongoing T20 series.
The team’s tour of New Zealand began with a T20 series last week but they did not experience a lot of joy after being easily swept aside 2-0 by the Kiwis in a three-match series. Simmons, however, does not expect any follow-on negative effect for the four-day team and admits he has been encouraged by their performance in the warm-up games. The performances with the bat in the warm-up matches will have been particularly encouraging for the team, which saw the batting line-up post scores of 366 and 571.
“The T20 and the Tests are different. The Test team has done well in Queenstown and enjoyed a tough four-day game. Now, they are coming into the Test series with some confidence, especially with the batsmen and we haven’t had that in a while,” Simmons told windiescricket.
“I think the Test team is in a good place, I’m disappointed with the T20 team but looking forward to the Test series…I don’t think the results of the T20 will affect how they think,” he added.
The Test series is also expected to be a tough challenge for the regional team who has not won a series in New Zealand since 1995.
Simmons was speaking on Sunday following the dismal performance of the defending champions while losing to England by six wickets in Dubai. The West Indies were bowled out for 55 in just 14.2 overs, a target achieved by England in 8.2 over albeit for the loss of four wickets.
During the match, several West Indies batsmen got out trying to clear the boundary, most notably opening bat Lendl Simmons, who swiped Moeen Ali and was caught on the midwicket boundary mirroring his dismissal to Mohammed Nabi in the team’s final warm-up game against Afghanistan.
Simmons conceded that this was a concern for the team.
“There is a concern from yesterday (Saturday) because the game awareness and situational awareness was not at its best. From that point of view, definitely and it is something that is being addressed, not just with him (Lendl) but with all the players as to how we assess the situation that we are in because it can be assessed inside; those in the middle must assess the situation and play accordingly.”
Notwithstanding those concerns, Simmons said the team will continue to play its natural game.
“Well, the style in which we play our cricket has always been in the style in which we play our cricket, but we got to assess the situation at the time and play according to the situation. We will continue to be in our aggressive state but our shot selection and assessment of the situation must be a lot better.”
The camp provides an opportunity for established Test and developing players alike to sharpen and enhance their red-ball skills in a high-performance environment after a month-long break after the Sri Lanka Series.
The camp will include two ‘best v best’ inter-squad matches, as the West Indies look ahead to their final series in the ICC World Test Championship with two Test Matches against the Proteas in June.
Most players attending have been involved in recent West Indies Test squads and high-performance camps.
A few players, however, will be receiving their first international training experience since the beginning of the pandemic including Guyanese fast bowler Nial Smith, Jamaican top-order batsman Paul Palmer, Vincentian leg-spinning all-rounder Keron Cottoy and St. Kitts & Nevis’ left-hand batter, Kieran Powell.
Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph will not be attending as they are currently competing in the English County Championship and will return to the West Indies for the Test Series if selected. Current world #1 ranked Test all-rounder Jason Holder is being rested due to his workload across all formats of the game and will arrive in St Lucia at the end of the month.
The squad will arrive in St. Lucia and complete the quarantine protocols established by the Ministry of Health for the bio-secure environment before they start training led by Head Coach, Phil Simmons and his team management unit. Coach Simmons said:
“This camp is very important for our preparation for the upcoming Test Series against South Africa and for the rest of our busy and exciting summer. We will continue the work which we begun last year in England, to further develop our Test team into a force to be reckoned with in world cricket.
We welcome the good news of a rise to sixth in the ICC Test Rankings, however, this is just the beginning of our journey and we know we have lots of hard work ahead of us.”
ENGvWI Warm Up.jpg
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, is looking forward to the camp as CWI continues its investment in and focus on building a high-performance environment:
“The pandemic has made it necessary to assemble larger squads during the pre-tour phase to allow our preparation to be facilitated within one bio-secure bubble.
This has turned into a positive for us by creating a much-needed level of focus and intensity leading into tours while also allowing for players to make a case for selection if they perform well in the warm-up games. Given the lack of regional 4-day cricket so far this year, these camps have taken on even greater importance in our test match preparations.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI), in partnership with the St. Lucia National Cricket Association, has been working closely with the Government and Ministry of Health to create a safe bio-secure bubble for the players and staff. Everyone entering the bio-secure bubble will undergo two COVID-19 PCR tests prior to their arrival in St. Lucia and throughout the duration of their stay.
The Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium (DSCG) will host both Test matches against South Africa, the first bilateral cricket that they have played in the Caribbean since 2010, with the first Test to be played from June 10-14 and the second from June 18-22.
CWI HIGH-PERFORMANCE TRAINING SQUAD: Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Keron Cottoy, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Keon Harding, Jahmar Hamilton, Kavem Hodge, Chemar Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Shayne Moseley, Paul Palmer, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales, Nial Smith, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr. and Jomel Warrican.
Simmons also confirmed that the players who transgressed would be sanctioned internally.
Earlier this week, the New Zealand Health Ministry, revealed that several West Indies players repeatedly ran afoul of the restrictions imposed while the team was in isolation in Christchurch. The incidents, they said, were captured on closed-circuit television and also reported by staff at the facility where the team is being housed.
The incident has proven to be an embarrassment for CWI, whose CEO Johnny Grave who said he was disappointment.
Simmons was contrite.
"I have to apologise to the New Zealand public and the government who have allowed us to come here. It's embarrassing from our point of view," Simmons told New Zealand media, explaining that the incident has now robbed the team of valuable training time.
"We were just getting to the levels that we would normally start at, but coming from no cricket, we had to start slower. Hopefully everybody tests negative and then we can move to Queenstown and ramp it up as quickly as possible because later in the week we have a training game," Simmons said.
The West Indies have a practice match in Queenstown from November 20, a week before the first T20 International on November 27.
Roach ended the second Test with overall figures of 4 for 95 but that did not tell the full story. Prior to that, the pace bowler, despite crafting excellent, economic spells, had failed to claim a wicket for the entire first Test. In fact, Roach’s dismissal of Ben Stokes ended a wicket drought going back to August 31, 2019, and lasting 521 deliveries, or 86.5 overs.
It was a strange for the fast bowler, who starred for the West Indies team the last time the team’s met in the Caribbean, where he claimed 13 wickets, with one five and two four-wicket hauls. Now that he has got the monkey off his back, however, Simmons expects more wickets to come, which would be good news for the Windies.
“It’s great to see him getting wickets, it’s been a while since I have seen him bowl so well and not get wickets,” Simmons told members of the media on Sunday.
“I’m glad he is back in the wickets that will just fuel his fire for the next Test match.”
The West Indies will play England in the decisive Test, at Old Trafford, beginning on Friday.
Heading into the series, concerns had been raised about how the team’s top order would fare against an experienced England bowling attack. So far, they have not proven to be unfounded. With the exception of Brathwaite, the top team’s top three has failed to fire so far.
John Campbell and Shai Hope have only managed to muster high scores of 28 and 25, respectively, so far this series, and failed to make it to double digits in two of four innings. Though offering no confirmation, Simmons admitted it could be time for some changes.
“It’s something that we have to look at over the next couple days and decide which direction we go then,” Simmons told members of the media, via a Zoom press conference.
“They haven’t fired so we have to consider it (changes) over the next couple days,” he added.
The issue was brought to the fore after up and coming fast bowler Chemar Holder was left out of the Test team for the tour. Holder, who made his debut in New Zealand, showed plenty of promise in tough conditions. Chief of selectors Roger Harper went on to explain that the player had been left out to accommodate more spinners, in order to take advantage of Bangladesh’s slow pitches.
The Test squad selected included four spinners but also has the usual pace bowling trio of Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, and Alzarri Joseph and Simmons insists the balance of the first team is yet to be settled.
“I think we are here with a balanced squad, we have three spinners, we have three fast bowlers and a seeming all-rounder, it’s a case where we have balance all round,” Simmons told members of the media via a Zoom conference on Tuesday.
“So, it’s a case where we have balance all around. The decision has to be made whether we go with three fast bowlers, two spinners, two fast bowlers, three spinners, a decision hasn’t been made yet. We just have a balanced lineup and that’s what we came here with. We will make decisions closer to the game.”
In 2019, when the teams last met in the Caribbean, the hosts secured a 2-1 series win and West Indies head coach Phil Simmons wants his team to keep the trend alive.
“We’re looking to play the cricket that we know will put us in a position to win the series. We’re trying to make sure we’re ready for everything England can throw at us,” the Trinidadian head coach said during a pre-match press conference on Monday while indicating that it will critical for the hosts to build strong opening partnerships when they bat.
In that series, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell shared opening stands of 53, 52, 70, 17 not out, 57 and five and they will once again be entrusted with the responsibility.
“The last time we beat England here, the opening pair was Kraigg and John Campbell. Let’s hope that’s a good omen for us because they gave the team some good starts. We’ve been talking about getting a good start and making sure that the top four put things together and not leave it for the middle and lower order,” Simmons said.
“That’s been the focus of our camp leading up to this series. We need batsmen to bat long so the bowlers can have something to work with and I think the camp went well so I expect good things from them.”
The absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad from the England team has been a big talking point ever since their squad was announced, but Simmons says he is more interested in who they do have.
“We keep harping on no Broad and Anderson but when you don’t have the experience, you have young players who are hungry to make their name and that is something that you have to guard against too. They have quality bowlers who we still have to bat well against,” he said.
Simmons also spoke about the importance of having one specialist spinner in their squad, Veerasammy Permaul.
“Your spinner, at least in the first couple of days, will always play that holding role. Permaul has been bowling really well so, hopefully, by the time we get to the fourth day he will come into play and possibly be a match-winner for us,” Simmons said.
Simmons also mentioned the conditions he expects at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
“It looks like it’s going to be a good wicket. We’re going to have to work hard for our runs but also work hard for our wickets,” he said.
At the conclusion of the Test match, the teams move on to the Kensington Oval in Barbados for the second Test set to start on March 16. The final Test is scheduled to be played at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada beginning on March 24.
The two sides battled to the two-Test stalemate in which some batsmen filled their boots but more often than not the bowlers struggled to get 20 wickets. In the first of the Test matches played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Sri Lanka failed to get 20 wickets in the match as the West Indies had scores of 271 and 236-4.
The local bowlers had early success bowling Sri Lanka out for 169 only to toil as the visitors scored a mammoth 476 in the second innings. In the second Test, West Indies made 354 and 280-4 while Sri Lanka had scores of 258 and 193 for 2.
In both matches, batting became much easier for both teams while the bowlers struggled.
The trend was not lost on the West Indies head coach.
“I think we from a country standpoint need to get better wickets where we can have Test matches that will create a result,” he said.
“Even if we lost a Test match after it’s gone to the fifth day, you will still think that we’ve done well to get to the fifth day and were in with a chance of winning the Test match, so I think that’s an important part of it.”
Notwithstanding the struggles of his bowling attack, Simmons said he was comfortable with what he has now.
“We had the bowlers there who we wanted to be in the Test team,” he said.
“Everybody else is still work in progress and still looking to put themselves in contention so right now these five bowlers are our main bowlers.”
Three changes have been made to the squad that recently played against Ireland in the Caribbean, with Darren Bravo, Rovman Powell and Fabien Allen returning to the squad. With the exception of Bravo, Jason Holder, and captain Kieron Pollard very few of the team have experience playing in Asia.
“The most important thing is for us to adjust quickly to the conditions, that’s why we’ll go in there a few days early,” Simmons said.
“How we played in Lucknow against Afghanistan is the kind of wicket we’re going to be getting there and we need to play in the same way and to train in the same way,” he added.
“We need the same attitude that we played against India. I think if we can get the attitude right we will come out on top in the series.”
The ODIs will be played at Sinhalese Sports Club; the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Hambantota; and the Pallakele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy. The ODIs will be followed by two T20 Internationals in Kandy.
The West Indies successfully negotiated the fifth and final day on the back of a patient 113 undefeated from the bat of Nkrumah Bonner. After being dismissed for 169 in the first innings a massive 476 piled up in the second innings would have been a massive concern. The Sri Lankans were led by 103 from Pathum Nissanka and 96 from Niroshan Dickwella. The pair frustrating and blunting the Windies bowling attack.
For large periods of the second innings, it seemed the hosts had lost their way, with a series of poor displays in the field and poor choices to review. Simmons believes if the team is to win a second straight Test series, the errors must be cleaned up.
“I think our discipline when we are bowling has to improve,” Simmons told Windiescricket.
“The few hours in the field that we allow runs to just slip by us, because of the discipline, that definitely has to tighten up, and then we just have to bat in the second innings like we batted in the first innings,” he added.
The Bangladesh team has not played a Test since February when they faced Zimbabwe at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium. The West Indies has in the meantime, played two-Test series against England and then New Zealand.
Relying on that statistic would, however, be slightly misleading as several of the West Indies' first-team players opted out of the tour, leaving the unit to rely on more inexperienced players for the tour. In such circumstances and Bangladesh’s home record, Simmons is skeptical of there being any advantage but hopes the team will be able to captilise once there is.
“There could be a little bit of vulnerability early in the Test because they haven’t played any international Test cricket for a year now and getting back into it might expose some vulnerability early on," Simmons told members of the media.
“I’m sure that, that would be taken care of because they have a fairly experienced team, with the likes of Tamim and Shakib. The experience is there so it might not last too long, but if it does happen, we have to take that opportunity and seize on it,” he added.
“Bangladesh will always have the edge no matter who they are playing at home. They are a very strong side when they play at home. So, they will always have the edge even when they haven’t played any cricket for a year.”
Bangladesh won the previous series, which consisted of three ODI matches, against the West Indies 3-0.
The West Indies lead the series 2-1 with the final two matches scheduled to be played on Saturday and Sunday.
Wayne Lewis, Honorary Secretary at WIPA confirmed to Sportsmax.TV today that WIPA received an email from CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams Thursday afternoon informing of the delay to the discussions surrounding the issue that, according to sources, has caused discord within the senior team. He expects the meeting to be held sometime next week.
The matter surfaced earlier this week when allegations were being made that Jamaican all-rounder was being victimized by the team leadership and was eventually dropped for the third match played on Wednesday that the West Indies won by 20 runs. Smith’s replacement Rovman Powell scored his maiden T20 hundred for the West Indies.
Afterwards, Coach Phil Simmons pushed back on assertions that Smith was being victimized. The burly allrounder conceded four runs in the one over he bowled in the second T20 and dropped for the next match. He has also scored useful runs batting at number 10 but according to Phil Simmons, players are selected in the best interest of the team.
“We need to stop this foolishness that we are going on with. We sit here and look at the best team for the day and if Odean was not in the best team for the day it was because we thought Rovman Powell was better suited,” Simmons said afterwards while speaking with the media.
Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies has described the claims as being unsubstantiated and mischievous as it moved to head off any fallout.
In a statement released late Thursday, CWI said it was aware that “voice notes were circulated on social media, and in sections of the regional broadcast media, suggesting that there is a rift within the West Indies Senior Men’s team.
“Contrary to the unsubstantiated statements, containing unfounded and mischievous allegations, CWI is satisfied that there is no discord between the team captain and any member of the West Indies team.”
CWI President Ricky Skerritt indicated that the rumours represent an unwarranted attack on Captain Kieron Pollard.
“I view this as a malicious attack on the credibility of the West Indies captain, designed to sow division within our team that has just recorded three very impressive T20I performances against very strong opponents, including two outstanding wins and one heroic comeback to get within one run of victory,” Skerritt said.
“This clear attempt by well-known mischief makers to discredit the captain and to derail the team’s momentum in the ongoing Betway T20I Series should not be tolerated or encouraged.”
