***Official*** West Indies in Sri Lanka

[Jamee999]

More bannings, Yay!

 

[Pratters]

What is the schedule like for the A tour?

 

[dinu23]

I really hope not .... Arnold has lost so many ODI's for SL in the last year or two he played for them. He was pathetic in the WC in 2003 where I remember him not being able to get the ball off the square. I think he is a great 12th man though. I was very impressed by the way he used to the batsman's helmet's !

he was going through a bad match in the 2003 WC. the selectors are giving him these chances to prove himself worthy of a place in the national side because they know his talent.

 

[dinu23]

What is the schedule like for the A tour?

June	 	 	
23-26	                  1st 4 Day Match	Dambulla	
29-June-02-July	2nd 4 day Match	Colts	
05-08	3rd              4 day Match	P.Sara	
11	                  1st OD Match 	Moratuwa	
13	                   2nd OD Match	CCC	
15	                  3rd OD Match	NCC	
17	                  4th OD Match	Moratuwa	
19	                  5th OD Match	NCC

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Even at my most optimistic, I can't see the West Indies going any better than 2-0. I don't see anything in West Indies cricket that leads me to believe that they are capable of winning a Test match without a fair amount of help. Pakistan helped them in the first innings of the first Test, though Edwards bowled exceptionally.

I predict Collymore will bowl well as always, but will not make a match-winning impact. The batsmen will struggle against the first sniff of spin tossed up, as well as Vaas. I can see 400+ scores being the norm, but I don't think the West Indies is capable of doing so twice in a match overseas.

Dave Mohammed must be picked as the front-line spinner, as there is no other spinner approaching Test quality in the region right now. Even so, Mohammed is not up to scratch as yet. I don't see how Sri Lanka will escape the series limiting Lara to an average of less than 50. It'd take a dramatic collapse of factors for that to happen.

My overall predictions:
1. the West Indies bowlers will not take 20 wickets in a match.
2. Brian Lara will have a healthy series.
3. Collymore will be the best West Indies bowler, but may be dropped due to lack of wickets, despite clearly being the most potent.

I've heard nothing to certainly suggest that Ramdin is in the senior team and there has been no official report. That said, the fact that hes out of the 'A' squad says something.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

3-0 for sure

Ok, so the West Indies is a terrible team atm, but surely even they can't lose a 2-Test series 3-0.

 

[roseboy64]

The ball's round dude. Sure, the Windies are crapp but I never would have expected them to even draw the series against Pakistan. Much less win one Test. They were in a good position to win the second one too but we all now how that panned out. If between now and and the first Test the WI can get to some acceptable level of competence against spin you never know. I think it'll be a pretty close series. If some of the guys from the A tour perform well and stay and do like wise then a series win is possible. Such as the likes of Mohammed and Samuels.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

The West Indies has played at more promising levels than this before and then continued to fail, especially away from home. Consider where they're playing. It's no easy task for any team to go into the conditions in Sri Lanka and win a series, let alone a low level team such as the West Indies.

Yes, we have heat and humidity here, but the conditions in Sri Lanka are far worse. Those alone will pressure the boys. Yes, the West Indies did well in winning the first Test v Pakistan, but be realistic. Consider how terribly Pakistan played on the second day. If the West Indies had lost a Test in that fashion, there would be heavy criticism.

The fact that Pakistan lost to the West Indies in that fashion makes it even worse.

I can't see the West Indies competing. I see more likelihood of competing in Australia to be honest.

 

[aussie]

Ok, so the West Indies is a terrible team atm, but surely even they can't lose a 2-Test series 3-0.

ahh your back well i thought it was a 3 test series

 

[aussie]

I can't see the West Indies competing. I see more likelihood of competing in Australia to be honest.

You really think so

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

You really think so

Yes I do. Less arrogance please.

Australia has conditions more conducive to the West Indies showing any distinct level of fight. Heck, the West Indies is capable of beating Somerset, so who knows...

 

[aussie]

Yes I do. Less arrogance please.

Australia has conditions more conducive to the West Indies showing any distinct level of fight. Heck, the West Indies is capable of beating Somerset, so who knows...

i'm not being arrogant, maybe the conditions over in Australia is easily adaptable to West Indies than Sri Lanka but other than Lara & Chanderpaul i can easily see Australia causing serious problems to the rest of the windies batting line-up.

Also that bowling wellll........... they would have to do alot to keep Australia under 400

 

[JASON]

Would Tom Moody have taken over as Sri Lankan coach by then ?

I thought Tom was waiting to see his New Road contract out before going to SL post season !!

If that's the case SL will likely have a local interim coach or would it be Stan Nell coaching the Team I wonder ?

 

[chaminda_00]

Would Tom Moody have taken over as Sri Lankan coach by then ?

I thought Tom was waiting to see his New Road contract out before going to SL post season !!

If that's the case SL will likely have a local interim coach or would it be Stan Nell coaching the Team I wonder ?

Yeah i think he is part time ATM, so he should be there for the Tests and ODIs. I don't think he will be doing much during the lead up but, i think he arrives the same time as Vaas and other county players. I'm 100% sure but i think that is the situation.

Liam, West Indies are capable of winning a Test cus Sri Lanka capable of playing as crap as Pakistan did in the Windies this season. If Murali not fit then i think the Windies batting line up are capable of giving Lara and Chanderpaul support. If his fit then 2-0 probably about right especially with Malinga and Vaas at the other end. West Indies bowling well if you look at recent series we have struggled against all spinners. Maybe your spinners aren't up to Warne, Giles or Kaneria, but if Mohammed steps up he might give our batsmen some trouble.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

i'm not being arrogant, maybe the conditions over in Australia is easily adaptable to West Indies than Sri Lanka but other than Lara & Chanderpaul i can easily see Australia causing serious problems to the rest of the windies batting line-up.

Also that bowling wellll........... they would have to do alot to keep Australia under 400

The point is within the first part of the first line of your reply. After that, it bears no relevance.

 

[dinu23]

my predictions:
1)SL win series 1-0(1 drawn due to rain)
2)highest scorer - Lara
3)highest wicket taker - Murali

 

[aussie]

The point is within the first part of the first line of your reply. After that, it bears no relevance.

well then their was no arragance showed on my part, i think that little emotion i put up may have triggered that thought.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Liam, West Indies are capable of winning a Test cus Sri Lanka capable of playing as crap as Pakistan did in the Windies this season. If Murali not fit then i think the Windies batting line up are capable of giving Lara and Chanderpaul support. If his fit then 2-0 probably about right especially with Malinga and Vaas at the other end. West Indies bowling well if you look at recent series we have struggled against all spinners. Maybe your spinners aren't up to Warne, Giles or Kaneria, but if Mohammed steps up he might give our batsmen some trouble.

Somehow I missed this earlier. The West Indies is barely capable of beating any team away from home (struggled against Zimbabwe), so I don't see how optimism will help in Sri Lanka. The conditions are brutal and the West Indies is a team learning to play as a team.

Considering Murali is out, you can also consider how the West Indies struggled against the likes of Giles in England, which indicates that the struggle is against spin in general, not just quality spin.

Mohammed isn't experienced enough to have any right troubling Sri Lankan batsmen, but I'd love it if he does. Mervyn Dillon showed last time that it's not impossible to bowl well in Sri Lanka, taking 9 good wickets in 4 innings. He bowled better than his low40s average suggested. With that in mind, I still think the likes of Collymore and Edwards will have a larger impact than Mohammed if the West Indies is avoid defeat and/or win.

My outlook may seem negative, but I honestly consider Sri Lanka one of the hardest tours for this team to go on right now, but I believe that it will be good preparation for Australia, whatever the result.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

well then their was no arragance showed on my part, i think that little emotion i put up may have triggered that thought.

Just to clarify, those posts weren't harsh in tone.

 

[roseboy64]

I'm ever an optimist so my posts tend to be in that light. I do try to be as realistic as possible though. The Windies are very unpredictable so I can't bet against them.