WI v India in Caribbean, June 2011

Andre Russell's 92* is the highest score made by any No.9 in ODI cricket beating J.P.Yadav's 69 for India v. NZ at Bulawayo in August 2005. The previous record for a West Indian No.9 was 64 by Michael Holding v. Australia at the WACA in February 1984. The previous HS by a No 9 made in the Caribbean was 58* by Darren Sammy against South Africa on the same ground as today 17 days ago.

Pity the bowlers let him down.

Horrendously disappointing from the Windies. Would've been nice, from a near-neutral's perspective to have this MODI series kept alive. Attrocious bowling at the end. Suppose this thread commentates on the state of their cricket ATM, so shite there's only 51 posts in this thread. Shamola...

Seeing as the ODI series is completely over for the WI, let's try and piece together a decent XI from the current lot in time for the Test series.

1. Gayle
2. Barath
3. Sarwan
4. Chanderpaul
5. Darren Bravo/Nash
6. Dwayne Bravo/Sammy
7. Baugh/Ramdin
8. Taylor/Benn
9. Roach
10. Rampaul/Edwards
11. Bishoo

I think they should stick with Daren Bravo. It's clear how talented he is and,given he's young, he should be given at least a dozen Tests to flourish.

DJ_Smerk wrote:Seeing as the ODI series is completely over for the WI, let's try and piece together a decent XI from the current lot in time for the Test series.

1. Gayle
2. Barath
3. Sarwan
4. Chanderpaul
5. Darren Bravo/Nash
6. Dwayne Bravo/Sammy
7. Baugh/Ramdin
8. Taylor/Benn
9. Roach
10. Rampaul/Edwards
11. Bishoo

Come on Smerky, thats a XVI, not an XI. No more sitting on the fence. How about:

Crystal Gayle*, bat = 39.1, SR = 84, bowl = 35.1
Lendl Simmonds+, bat = 30.0, SR = 67
Ronnie Sarwan, bat = 43.2, SR = 76
Darren Bravo, bat = 33.2, SR = 73
Shiv Chanderpaul, bat = 41.6, SR = 71
Marlon Samuels, bat = 29.9, SR = 74
Dwayne Bravo, bat = 24.4, SR = 81.9, bowl = 29.5
Andre Russell, bat = 36.8, SR = 112, bowl = 31.3
Kemar Roach, bowl = 25.1
Devendra Bishoo, bowl = 21.6
Fidel Edwards, bowl = 30.2

The side lacks batting depth, so you will have to sacrifice a specialist keeper and let Simmonds take on the role of batsman/keeper. Rather than so many bits and pieces all rounders like Sammy and Pollard, who simply isn't effective enough as a bowler or prolific enough as a batsman they should concentrate on specialist batsmen and strike bowlers.

So recall Fidel Edwards, or Jerome Taylor to take the new ball with Kemar Roach and have Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell as the other seamers. Bishoo can bowl the spin with Benn as reserve.

Chris Gayle should be reinstated as captain, with Sarwan in the key number 3 position. Marlon Samuels gets one last chance to translate his talent onto the international stage and Chanders is there to guard against batting collapses, but may drop down the order if they get off to a good start.

Simples.

I agree that they should play five bowlers and hence accomodate a makeshift keeper, though it's doubtful they'd ever use one. I'm not sure any international team would, now. They can afford to, having Bravo at 7 and Russell at 8, IMO. Don't know about Marlon Samuels, never been convinced. At least Nash has some grit. With the likes of big Bravo and Russell, along with strokemakers in the top order, they'd need a bit of stickability to go with Chanderpaul. Think Rampaul would get the gig if it was going to be a shootout between him and Roach, having the best form. Got to get Lendl Simmons in, again like Daren Bravo, because the talent is big in him. He needs a decent run.

Yeah, i'm not convinced by Samuels either, but he's been tearing up the domestic WI cricket.

Checking their stats it was incredible how poor their domestic ODI records are - hardly any batsmen average over 30 at a List A level. Also, all the keepers playing for the islands seem to be number 8 or number 9's at best - a throwback to the 1950's and specialist keepers while every other country is developing batsmen/keepers.

So I think they should do an Alec Stewart style experiment with Simmonds, who apparently is a part-time keeper.

Always felt Rampaul was a bit meh, would prefer to see an out and out pace bowler. Fidel Edwards bowled some of the best fast swing bowling i'd seen in a long time a few years back - would like to see if he's still got it. He can be expensive, but the wickets are more valuable even in limited over cricket.

Gary, Rampaul has bowled excellently for this tour so far and the tour before.

furriner wrote:Gary, Rampaul has bowled excellently for this tour so far and the tour before.

For me West Indian cricket isn't about some bloke bowling 82-84mph line and length though. They should prepare quick, bouncy pitches and have Kemar Roach, Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor thundering in trying to knock the batsmen's heads off.

Gary 111 wrote:

furriner wrote:Gary, Rampaul has bowled excellently for this tour so far and the tour before.

For me West Indian cricket isn't about some bloke bowling 82-84mph line and length though. They should prepare quick, bouncy pitches and have Kemar Roach, Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor thundering in trying to knock the batsmen's heads off.

I could be wrong but he's been faster than that. From what I read, he's "gone back to his under-19 days in terms of form".

Gary 111 wrote:Yeah, i'm not convinced by Samuels either, but he's been tearing up the domestic WI cricket.

Checking their stats it was incredible how poor their domestic ODI records are - hardly any batsmen average over 30 at a List A level. Also, all the keepers playing for the islands seem to be number 8 or number 9's at best - a throwback to the 1950's and specialist keepers while every other country is developing batsmen/keepers.

So I think they should do an Alec Stewart style experiment with Simmonds, who apparently is a part-time keeper.

Always felt Rampaul was a bit meh, would prefer to see an out and out pace bowler. Fidel Edwards bowled some of the best fast swing bowling i'd seen in a long time a few years back - would like to see if he's still got it. He can be expensive, but the wickets are more valuable even in limited over cricket.

We all know how tearing up domestic attacks can be misleading when it comes to the pressure cauldron if Test matches. I feel if Samuels gets bogged down, he has no method of alleviating his rut apart from trying to hit out. Maybe he's changed, though.

I'd more than be glad if Simmons was keeping as it's the best chance of WI winning, but you know how weak and un-dynamic international cricket selection boards are nowadays...

As for Rampaul he was bowling at high speeds and moving the ball around appreciably against Pakistan, for the most part. I'm not saying play him in front of Edwards anyway, Fidel was the leader of the attack when he was last in the side - he'd earned the right to a callback when he was fit and firing. I just don't think Roach, currently, has the temprement for Test cricket. He's a little bit like Samuels but with the ball, IMO.

Would love to see this Indian side standing up to this barrage. WICB, are you watching?

Rampaul's not the worst. Quicker than he looks, nibbles it both ways. Seems like he cares.....

It’s time for India to wring in some changes. Luckily Raina has said so to that effect. Keeping the tests in mind I’d definitely start with Ishant Sharma. Though Tiwary isn’t in the test squad, he should be played in place of Pathan. His off-spin has proved costly anyway. His quota of part-time spin could easily be covered by the combo of Raina, Rohit Sharma and Kohli, I believe far more efficiently. Shikhar Dhawan needs the boot and I’d play Badrinath as an opener, but that might mean risking the stable middle-order. On these turning tracks maybe India should spring a surprise and play all the three spinners. Even so, India could bat right down to 9 as Ashwin is a reasonable bat and will probably bat ahead of Harbhajan with Mishra to follow:

1. Parthiv Patel 2. Badrinath 3. Kohli 4. Rohit Sharma 5. Raina 6. Tiwary 7. Ashwin 8. Harbhajan 9. Mishra 10. Ishant Sharma 11. Munaf Patel

The Windies have recalled Darren Bravo!.....But left out Bishoo??

Oh my God what a bunch of clueless c*cks!

Someone save them from themselves!

Norm Malcolm is a really awful umpire. Called a wide off Ishant when the ball was at least 10cms inside the guidelines.

Sarwan gone.

12/2.

Where's the fight? FFS.

Watching an Indian fast bowler beat batsmen for pace and bounce is just orgasmic. If only Ishant wasn't so damn inconsistent...

How long before the Windies completely give up on themselves with their best players telling the WICB to go f*ck themselves, and making the IPL their number 1 priority?

Oh wait, I think it's already happened.....

Jamaica, Barbados, and T&T could probably go it alone as test nations. Put the likes of Guyana and the Leeward Islands into a second division along with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

The Windies have been dire for 15 years. I'm sick of it.

Lendl Simmons looks decent enough. Needs to convert.

The two young talents are in at the moment, I'd love to see them both prosper.

All over your face?

Marlon Samuels against spinners- Block, block, block, block, block, block, slog...out.

Norm Malcolm strikes again!

LB Bubble for Marlon Samuels.

Was it out?