What next for the West Indies?

In the first quarter-final of the cricket World Cup, Pakistan well and truly battered the West Indies into submission with an emphatic 10-wicket victory over Darren Sammy’s side. Many experts have asked whether cricket in the Caribbean is ever going to reach the heights that it did in the 1980’s.

The current side has some talented individuals who could win matches on their own, but they are yet to blend into a team that could challenge for honours in major tournaments. Despite three victories in the competition, defeats against the major nations seem to prove this theory.

It is without doubt that selection is one of the main issues that needs to be addressed. Many people predict that the injured Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh and Dwayne Bravo will return to the side, and this would obviously strengthen all aspects of the team.

Before the tournament, Barath was being touted as one of the batsmen to watch, but injury before the competition began meant that he never got the chance to shine on the world’s biggest stage. He was joined on the plane home by wicket-keeper Baugh, who was replaced by the unimpressive Devon Thomas, and he should be assured of a place in the side once fit.

All-rounder Bravo can win matches on his own, and the knee injury that he picked up in the WIndies’ opening match against South Africa was a massive blow to the whole team. Once he is back in the side they will look much stronger, and he could have been the difference in some of the matches that were lost in sub-continent.

Bravo's injury robbed the West Indies of arguably their best
player

The second decision that has to be made by the selection committee is that of the captaincy. Current skipper  Sammy had, at best, an average World Cup, and it has been asked what he offers to the side. His medium-pace bowling can be economical but not especially threatening, whilst his batting is very much hit-or-miss. His leadership has also been questioned, and it seems as if he is just taking up a place in the team that could be utilised by a younger, more talented player.

If Sammy is to be relieved of his duties, who are the contenders to replace him. There seems to be two possibilities. These are Chris Gayle and the afore mentioned Bravo. Gayle has previous experience of captaincy, but it seems unlikely that he will be reinstated. This therefore leaves Bravo as the only option, and if he can be aided by some of the experienced names in the current team, then he could become a successful captain.

Sammy's poor World Cup could cost him his place as captain

With all things taken into account, it seems as if the West Indies should look to pick a side which looks something like this:

1.       Chris Gayle

2.       Adrian Barath

3.       Darren Bravo

4.       Ramnaresh Sarwan

5.       Shivnarine Chanderpaul

6.       Dwayne Bravo (Captain)

7.       Keiron Pollard

8.       Carlton Baugh (WK)

9.       Andre Russell

10.   Devendra Bishoo OR Sulieman Benn

11.   Kemar Roach

This side seems to have the balance that the current side lacks, with all-rounders Bravo, Pollard and Russell providing adequate bowling skills and the ability to finish innings’ with the bat. It also leaves the likes of Devon Smith, Sammy and Ravi Rampaul in reserve; all of whom could be called upon to reliably cover if there were to be any injuries.

All in all, the future for West Indian cricket is not as bleak as some may think. They have a wealth of young talent that, if developed correctly, could become some of the best players in the world. The powers that be have to make some key decisions in next few weeks, and if made correctly, could see the West Indies make big steps towards returning to their glory days.

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com

England's opening dilemma

After Kevin Pietersen's good start to life as an opening batsman, many thought that England had finally found a someone to partner Andrew Strauss at the top of the order.

However, a hernia injury means Pietersen has had to travel back to London for surgery, with Eoin Morgan being called up in his place. The selection of the Irish-born Morgan shows that England are going to have to find a new opener within their current World Cup Squad, with none of the other fourteen players being genuine opening batsmen.

Pietersen's 59 against Ireland showed he may be able to open
for England in future years

Who will England now turn to? Andy Flower has revealed he knows who will open in against Bangladesh in Chittagong on Friday, but also said they may review the position on a game-by-game basis. 

So who are the main contenders....

Ian Bell. Bell has previously opened in One-Day Internationals, and many people asked before the tournament began whether he would partner Strauss. He averages 33.33 from his 26 innings' as an opener in ODI's, but the last time he featured at the top of the order was in 2008. His style of play suits batting in the powerplays as he looks to pierce the gaps and play his shots, and he could prove the perfect foil to Strauss, who has been England's most aggressive batsman thus far.

Ravi Bopara. Bopara's impressive innings against South Africa should have made the selectors sit up and realise that the Essex man is, on current form, a much better man to have in the middle-order than Paul Collingwood. However, after Pietersen's injury, they may again have to move Bopara from a position he looks comfortable in. He has previously opened in ODI's, and averages less than 30 from his fourteen innings', with only one half-century. Despite having the experience, the selectors would face some criticism if Bopara were to find himself opening again, as his batting style and ability to hit over the top would be much better suited to the middle and late overs.

Bopara's innings against South Africa may have assured him
a place in the side for the rest of the tournament.

Matt Prior. Prior is another of England's middle-order who has experience of opening the batting, most recently in the seven-match series against Australia. However, from his 32 innings' he only averages 24.2. Since Morgan's injury, he has been batting in the number 6 position and has been enlisted as 'the finisher'. However, with Morgan back in the side he may not be needed to fill this role, and this could see England revert to having their wicket-keeper doubling up as their opening batsmen.

Luke Wright. It would be a massive shock if Wright was handed the role of opener for the remainder of the World Cup, especially since in his six previous innings at the top of the order in ODI's he has only mustered 107 runs. However, the selectors seem to feel he has something to offer the squad, and stranger things have happened...

In my opinion, Ian Bell is the best candidate to partner Strauss at the top of the innings. However, it would come as shock if England's selectors went with Matt Prior, as it would open up the finisher role for Morgan to come into, whilst not disrupting the middle-order.

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com and sportsvoice.co.uk

10 things we've learnt from the World Cup so far

The World Cup is now two weeks old, and has recovered from a slightly below-par start to become one of the most talked about editions of the tournament ever. Thus far the competition has had everything from amazing tied matches to shock results for the associate nations, and that’s just England’s story.

But what have we learnt from the great festival of cricket that is the World Cup...

1. England are the most unpredictable team in the world. Granted, most people already knew this, but the performances that Andrew Strauss’ side have put in during their three matches so far have been so different from each other it has to be seen to be believed. After a workmanlike but unremarkable victory over the Netherlands, the tie against India in Bangalore was one of the greatest batting performances by an England one-day side in living memory. However, after being talked up by almost every commentator and pundit in the sub-continent, the defeat at the hands of the Irish has brought Andy Flower and his players back down to Earth with a bump. They still should qualify from the group stages, but I would not back them to go much further after their opening performances.

2. James Anderson is not a world-class one-day bowler. Anderson has struggled in England’s first three matches and is fighting for his place in the team heading into the tomorrow’s match against South Africa. His 28 overs in the tournament have been hit for 212 runs, whilst he has only picked up two wickets. His performances have reflected those of the whole team, and he must aim for much more consistency if he is to resurrect the form that saw him become the leader of the attack in recent years.

Anderson has struggled in the tournament thus far

3. Kevin Pietersen could become an opener. When it was revealed that KP was going to open the batting, many asked whether his game would be suited to taking on the new ball. However, he has shown glimpses of the temperament and intelligence that he would need to continue as an opener in the one-day game.

4. India aren’t as good as everyone thinks. It is without doubt that MS Dhoni’s team have one of the best batting line-ups in the world, but this is only half of what a team needs to win the competition, and currently their bowling and fielding is coming under fire. Zaheer Khan’s burst during England’s batting powerplay has been the only highlight in the field for the hosts thus far, and the likes of Munaf Patel, Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla are not proven international bowlers. If India are to win the competition, their bowlers will have to step up to the mark, as their batsmen cannot be relied on for the whole tournament.

5. The quicker, the better. When teams go to the sub-continent, they tend to pack their bowling attack with spinners. However, it has been the quicker bowlers who have been most impressive in the opening two weeks of the tournament. Kemar Roach and Lasith Malinga have both taken hat-tricks, whilst the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait have fired Australia to two victories wth their full and fast approach. This World Cup could very well surprise a lot of people and be the tournament where the world’s best fast bowlers are the main stars.

6. The good Pakistan have turned up. Whenever an international competition comes around, many people ask which Pakistan are going to turn up, and this year it looks as if they are at their brilliant best. Despite a shaky batting performance against Canada, they have emerged as genuine contenders, and with an inspired Shahid Afridi leading from the front, they could easily find themselves lifting the trophy for the second time.

7. The World Cup needs the associate nations. Ireland’s victory over England has shown to the ICC that the associate nations have a place in world cricket’s premier events. The performance brought about one of the greatest ever World Cup shocks and lit up the tournament, something which those that govern the game cannot ignore if they want to keep people watching future tournaments. Despite weak performances from Kenya and Canada, I for one feel it would be unfair if the likes of Kevin O’Brien and Ryan Ten Doeschate did not get the chance to show off their skills on the world stage.

8. Chris Gayle is cooler than anyone thought. As always, Chris Gayle has been the epitome of cool throughout the tournament. However, he proved just how cool he was as he took time out from dodging rocks on his team bus to tweet to the world. Many would have concentrated on their own safety, but not Gayle. He wanted to let his 39,000 followers what was going on outside the ground. The man is very cool.

9. Not even his teammates like Sreesanth. After India’s first game of the tournament against Bangladesh, opening batsman Virender Sehwag was quoted as saying everyone had played well apart from Sreesanth. It is well known that opposition players and supporters aren’t particularly fond of the young bowler, but Sehwag’s comments shed light on what the Indian dressing room thinks of their outspoken contemporary. It seems that the only person who likes Sreesanth is the man himself.

Sreesanth has never been one to make friends
on the cricket pitch

10. No one knows who is going to win the tournament. Unlike the last few tournaments, it does not seem as if it going to be a non-event of a tournament that ends predictably with Australia holding the trophy aloft. In fact, it would be somewhat of a surprise if Ricky Ponting’s side even made it to the final. Any number of teams could be celebrating victory at the end of the tournament, and I for one would not like to be the person to predict who that will be.... 


This article can be found at worldcricketwatch.com and sportsvoice.co.uk