***Official*** South Africa v West Indies

[Duncan]

**Official** South Africa v West Indies

West Indies will be without Lara, Sarwan and Gayle when they take on South Africa... the First Test will begin on March 31st... best of luck to West Indies... they are gonna need it.

What I found interesting is that West Indies won't have any rest when Pakistan tour them... just three days after their last ODI with South Africa, their ODI series with Pakistan starts.

 

[Duncan]

WI manager talks up team in absence of stars

Cricinfo staff

March 29, 2005

Tony Howard, the manager of the West Indies team, has exuded confidence ahead of the first Test against South Africa, which begins in Guyana on March 31. Howard said that his team, even minus Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle, were geared up and ready to face the challenge posed by the South Africans.

"They are quite excited, actually. We have been training from early morning to late in the day so we have been putting in a lot of hard work," Howard told The Trinidad Express. "We are trying to build a unit of players who will work together."

West Indies have been hampered by the omission of it star players, owing to conflict in their individual contracts with Cable and Wireless and the team sponsor Digicel. Lara, who was later invited to join the team by the board, declined pending the selection of others left out for similar reasons. The selectors have named several fresh faces in the squad: Donovan Pagon, Narsingh Deonarine, and Dwight Washington, who would be donning the West Indian colours for the first time.

Howard reckoned that this would be good opportunity for the new players to get a teaste of international cricket. "I always look forward to a challenge and the players will approach the challenge with confidence," Howard continued. "Some factors are missing, but we are looking at things in the long term."

South Africa have been concerned about the fitness of Jacques Kallis, who has been troubled by a hip injury, and its likely that he would be unable to bowl in the first Test. Shaun Pollock was the other casualty and will the miss the first Test because of an ankle injury.

© Cricinfo

 

[Unattainableguy]

A piece of cake for South Africa.

 

[aussie]

aussie

wont be surprised if west indies suffer their first ever home white wash

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

wont be surprised if west indies suffer their first ever home white wash

I refuse to believe this team is bad enough to be whitewashed at home. The bowling is as good as we can put out, if fit. The batting is a little weak, but there is talent there. There's every chance (fingers entwined) that the youngsters shine and pull off a win.

 

[lord_of_darkness]

Go WI!

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I consider supporting the West Indies currently as supporting Digicel and disgusting commercialism in the game of cricket. That said, I simply can not deny my Windies of support. I'm slightly torn.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Best of luck to the West Indies. They will very much be the neutral's underdog hope in this series, missing their stars and playing a side that, while not what they once were, are still probably 4th in the world on form.

 

[Prince EWS]

I imagine thats exactly have the Zimbabwean cricket supporters feel right now.

 

[Adamc]

Best way to send the message to WICB to get this mess sorted out is for the WI fans to not turn up. It looks as though this may be the case according to Cricinfo - "the Bourda, which is usually close to capacity for the opening day of a Test, could be less than a quarter full." WI fans deserve to have a full-strength side on display, especially when this mess has been created almost entirely by the sponsors rather than the players.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Hmm, not overly ecstatic at the prospect of having to support South Africa in two consecutive series due to the monster that is political and commercial interference...

 

[garage flower]

I refuse to believe this team is bad enough to be whitewashed at home. The bowling is as good as we can put out, if fit. The batting is a little weak, but there is talent there. There's every chance (fingers entwined) that the youngsters shine and pull off a win.

Very optimistic Mr M.

Despite Bravo's apparent injury problems, his absence clearly weakens the bowling, which was mediocre - at best - to start with.

The ravaged batting line-up will get its best chance to put a score on the Board on a flat Bourda track against a Pollock-less attack, but I still think they're unlikely to be competitive.

Apart from the obvious specialist batting absentees, the lower order is severely weakened by the absence of Jacobs and any potential bowling all-rounders (e.g. Bravo, Banks). Amongst the selected bowlers, it seems that only D Powell is anything other than a test match no. 11.

Oh well, where there's life...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Trying to continue in the optimistic frame of mind amidst the darkness...

Wavell Hinds and Devon Smith are both capable of Test hundreds at the top of the order. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a proven quality player. Daren Ganga is supposedly in the form of his life (lol). Narsingh Deonarine scored 141 not out against Australia 2 years ago. The bowling attack then was Gillespie, Bichel, Noffke, MacGill, Hogg. Ryan Hinds played beautifully against England last year and is in fine form with the bat at the moment. I don't expect Donavan Pagon to play.

Courtney Browne can bat a bit.

Overall I'd say the batting lineup is capable of putting up 300+ against South Africa, especially without Pollock.

As for the bowling, it's a sad day if Dwight Washington gets his debut before Daren Powell gets recalled. Washington is not only not up to Test standard yet in my opinion, but I think he chucks fairly obviously and regularly.

Funny thing, Cricinfo seems to have gotten its wires crossed. They've listed Daren Powell to play as a batsman, slotting him in at #6 amidst 5 pacers in the possible XI. Poor show by the leading cricket website.

I'd not back the team to win, but it should not be shamed.

 

[garage flower]

Trying to continue in the optimistic frame of mind amidst the darkness...

Wavell Hinds and Devon Smith are both capable of Test hundreds at the top of the order. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a proven quality player. Daren Ganga is supposedly in the form of his life (lol). Narsingh Deonarine scored 141 not out against Australia 2 years ago. The bowling attack then was Gillespie, Bichel, Noffke, MacGill, Hogg. Ryan Hinds played beautifully against England last year and is in fine form with the bat at the moment. I don't expect Donavan Pagon to play.

Courtney Browne can bat a bit.

Overall I'd say the batting lineup is capable of putting up 300+ against South Africa, especially without Pollock.

As for the bowling, it's a sad day if Dwight Washington gets his debut before Daren Powell gets recalled. Washington is not only not up to Test standard yet in my opinion, but I think he chucks fairly obviously and regularly.

Funny thing, Cricinfo seems to have gotten its wires crossed. They've listed Daren Powell to play as a batsman, slotting him in at #6 amidst 5 pacers in the possible XI. Poor show by the leading cricket website.

I'd not back the team to win, but it should not be shamed.

Well, that's a pretty positive spin on things (you ought to work for New Labour!), but I'm still pretty pessimistic.

The batsmen could perform, but the fact is that only Chanderpaul has performed consistently at this level. I do fancy Ryan Hinds to make a few though. Judging by results/reports he's taken his batting up a notch this season and assumed the mantle of the absent Reifer as linchpin of the Bajan middle order. Seems to have learnt how to convert useful scores into centuries.

A shame Samuels, having demonstrated he was in fine form just after the 22 were selected, isn't in the side. In the circumstances it looks like a startling omission.

The key, I think, is whether Wavell and Devon can consistently see off the new ball because the South African change bowlers are still largely unproven.

Regardless of the batting, I just don't fancy the Windies bowling attack to make significant inroads, but despite that and the frustration of fielding a sub-par team, I am looking forward to bunking off work early to see Shiv's - hopefully shortlived - reign get underway.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Samuels is indeed in sublime touch. He looked the best player in the world in his last couple of knocks.

Regarding the bowling, we can look back to last season when Best/Edwards/Collymore/Collins really did well against the English tourists. Whilst the cast has been cut in half, I maintain that Collins (when fully fit!) is a better bowler than he was at this time last year. Collymore is a decent bowler, as Graham Thorpe will tell you. Daren Powell really has looked good in his limited international stints and really seemed to come of age with the ball this year.

Reon King has proven that, when he's fit and in form, he's as good as any bowler in the world. That said, I've not seen him fit and in form at any time in the last couple of years, other than the domestic OD series last year. He did look good in the VB Series though (IMO).

I think I've said enough on Dwight Washington's behalf.

 

[Langeveldt]

Lets hope we give Digicel the klapping they deserve... There was a time when test cricket was all about pride in representing your nation, sad to see the West Indies demonstrating those times are gone..

If Zimbabwe do not deserve test status due to political interference, then the West Indies should be stripped due to commercial interference..

Liam, I wouldnt be shotuing if you decided not to support the West Indies... I reckon you guys deserve better than this current crap..

 

[biased indian]

Would have been a nice series if WI was full strength SA 2- WI 0 for me

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I don't intend to attend the Test in Trinidad for any reason other than to take pictures for CW. Even that will depend on whether I can borrow a camera, as mine is out of service for the moment.

 

[kendall]

could someone explain why the West indies have got in such a mess over this sponsership thing. I seem to remember other disputes in the past over selection and othre matters i have no knowledge of west indian cricket is the number of disputes down to the fact that different countires are envolved or is it something esle? whoever is too blame it is very sad and i fear Brian Lara has played his last test

 

[Langeveldt]

Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan have just terminated their deals with C&W and want to return to cricket! Does this mean they return tomorrow?

Top news for cricket, although I feel slightly less confidant about ZA steamrollering you guys now