Tym Glaser Of course, it's not entirely the players' fault. The selectors and Lara have had brain freezes too.
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN Jamaica and Antigua, the West Indies lost the knowledge of how to play one-day cricket.
I don't know if they left it at their Kingston hotel, in the plane's luggage compartment or even at the V.C. Bird International Airport, all I do know is that it's gone and their Cricket World Cup hopes are seriously starting to fade now because of it.
Despite all the power plays, 'mysterious' circles on the fields, snick-o-meters, Hawkeyes and even Duckworth/Lewis (weren't they the first guys to cross the United States), the 50-over-per-side game remains basically the same: beat ball early, steady down, beat ball again.
Yet, the Windies' batsmen were carrying on out in the middle during their first two Super Eight matches like they had just been asked to solve the Riddle of the Sphynx and a Rubik's Cube at the same time.
At Sabina Park, in the opening Group phase, they weren't really tested by an out-of-sorts Pakistan and over-matched Zimbabwe and Ireland.
In their first two games in the Super Eights, against the two teams from the Antipodes - Australia and New Zealand, the Windies have become theLosedies again with absolutely no rhyme nor reason to their batting and team selection.
Opener Chris Gayle is the king of belligerence yet, in this second phase of the competition, he has barely been able to work the ball off the square and when he does go for a big shot, he gets out.
Yeah, he top-scored with 44 against the Kay One Dubbaya Ones but it was a lucky and ugly knock and the team requires much more from its 'big bat' if it still wants to reach the semis. His palpable lack of footwork against speedster Shane Bond on Thursday was so bad, you almost felt sorry for the big left-hander.
Out of form
His opening mate, Shiv Chanderpaul, century against the Irish aside, is out of form and getting out too early to provide the stabiliser the team needs for at least 35 overs.
Thanks mainly to Shiv and Gayle, the team made about two an over in the first 10 against the sides from the south - batting second and first - which is not going to get you anywhere against class combos.
Ramnaresh Sarwan is not a No. 3 bat because he doesn't have the temperament or maturity to adapt to the situation. He just comes out and plays himself in when his role is to be either Gayle or Shiv - the sprinter or the stayer.
Marlon Samuels has more goods in his bag than Santa but when it comes to thinking out a game, he's a pixie who can and does get out to the most woeful strokes invented by man.
Skipper and true big bat of the side, B.C. Lara, must introduce himself at No. 3 now and cut all the bodily refuse about him steadying the middle order because, get this Prince, there is no middle order.
Reasonably good touch
All-rounders Dwaynes Bravo and Smith can't be relied upon for more than a boundary or two, 'keeper Denesh Ramdin seems to be in reasonably good touch now, but that's unlikely to last and Lendl Simmons is out of his weight class.
Yeah, the Windies can bat down to nine. So what? If you need nine batsmen you are in really big strife.
Of course, it's not entirely the players' fault. The selectors and Lara have had brain freezes too.
You don't bowl Smith at all against Australia and then bat the 'all-rounder' after the 'keeper. What's he in the team for - fielding?
Then, you drop one of your two strike bowlers for Simmons!
Last time I looked, you still had to bowl to opponents as well and, heaven forbid, if you actually get a few of them out that's actually a good thing. There's a little more to this game than having a bat and spending 50 overs in the sun.
Still, all is not lost for the Windies as a sweep of their last four Super Eight games would more than likely seal a semi berth and three wins out of four could still get the job done (but that'll probably come down to run rate).
But, guys, just get out there with a little heart and a little brain, please.
It's not rocket science and that 'lost knowledge' is actually still rattling around in your heads.
tym.glaser@gleanerjm.com.
