Tony Becca - FROM THE BOUNDARY WHEN THE Cable & Wireless Test series between the West Indies and England got under way at Sabina Park on March 11, there was hardly a West Indian who did not back the Windies to win it - even though, at number eight, they were ranked four places behind England.
With two matches gone, however, the West Indies are two down, and with only two to come, their only hope is a draw. Like England in 1954, however, they will have to win the last two, at Kensington Oval and at the Antigua Recreation Ground, if they hope to do so.
To win the last two, however, they will have to come good - very good, based on their performance so far, that seems unlikely - very unlikely, and it has nothing to do with the strength of England but rather the weakness of the West Indies. In fact, it is not the weakness of the West Indies, but the weaknesses of the West Indies.
Apart from possessing the kind of leadership that motivates and inspires, in order to win a match, a team has to score runs, take wickets and accept catches.
In order to win more than one match, it has to do all three consistently, and although they have hinted from time to time that they can bat, bowl and catch, although they are capable of reeling off some exciting strokes, bowling fast and some times very fast, and taking some brilliant catches, the West Indies lack the experience to perform consistently at the highest level.
TECHNIQUE, EXPERIENCE
Brian Lara is a great batsman and capable of firing any day. Unfortunately for the West Indies, however, with some lacking in technique and some lacking in experience, none of the other batsmen appear good enough to consistently score runs against bowlers who, like those on this England team, consistently bowl a good line, a good length, who either swing the ball through the air or cut it both ways off the pitch, and who, because of County cricket, are well experienced.
And the same is true of the bowlers who are so young and inexperienced that with all the speed of two like Tino Best and Fidel Edwards, in spite of a few deliveries that scare the daylights out of batsmen, they look like boys playing against men.
The question, therefore, is what can be done about it.
According to the fans, certainly a number of those who were at Queen's Park Oval during the five days of the Test match, the answer is changes.
CHANGES
While Adam Sanford should go, however, while Dwayne Smith is too loose and does not look the part at least not yet, changes are not the answer.
Apart from the injured fast bowlers, apart from the fact that Ricardo Powell should be given another opportunity to play Test cricket, those who are out are not better than those who are in and to bring in some of those who are out for those who are in would hardly make any difference to the team's performance.
Although the batting is good enough to get some runs some times, the fact is that West Indies cricket is weak right now, the selectors hardly have a choice when they sit to select the team, and West Indians just have to wait until their day comes again.
The unfortunate thing is that unless the West Indies Board realises that the problem of West Indies cricket is not with the players now representing the West Indies but with a structure that has left only youngsters playing club cricket and therefore regional cricket and that because of that only youngsters are available to the West Indies selectors, that day will be a long way away.
