King
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP):
TWO WEEKS after Bennett King began his tenure as West Indies cricket coach, the players have endorsed his methods and praised his practice techniques.
"He certainly brings a new sense of motivation to the players," said experienced batsman Wavell Hinds. "He's very systematic and very disciplined in his approach.
"I think the guys are responding very well and think this is a very new way forward, and we relish this opportunity to progress as a team."
Hinds has played for West Indies since 1999 under coaches Viv Richards, Roger Harper and Gus Logie, before King, an Australian, took over as the region's first foreign coach.
"He seems to know what he's about and is a good man manager," Hinds said. "He seems to put the players first and looks to get the best out of them each and every day."
IMPRESSED
Left-arm seamer Deighton Butler, included in the West Indies senior squad for the first time for the three-week preparatory camp, said he was impressed with King's approach.
"When we just started the camp, the coach said we should not call him 'coach'. He said call him Bennett or Kingy, which means he sees himself and all of us as a group," Butler said.
Guyanese fast bowler Reon King made his West Indies début in 1998 but had spent the past three years out of international cricket. The 29-year-old had played professionally in South Africa and England in the interim, and said he was also happy with King's tough training régime.
"It's certainly up there with South Africa. The level of training and the fitness culture there is pretty much close to what Bennett and his team has brought here to us," King said.
The 25-member West Indies squad, preparing for a three-nation, one-day tournament in Australia in January, concludes its three-week camp next Tuesday.
The coach is expected to choose a 14-man team for Australia today.
