Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Daren Powell ... When I finish I want to say, yes, I have given my all to West Indies cricket.

THE ART to being a good cricketer is not just to bowl and take a lot of wickets.

Nor is it just to make a lot of runs, as there are many other things behind success in the game, according to West Indies paceman Daren Powell.

Powell, who recently returned from a stint with Hampshire in the English County Championships, said he learned a lot there, especially from the world's top wicket-taker, Australian Shane Warne.

Praised Warne

He praised Warne for his unselfish ways, while referring to him as not only the world's best captain but also a teacher.

"It was a good experience (at Hampshire)," Powell said. "It helped me to grasp a bit more in terms of my bowling.

"I learnt a lot there. During the England series with West Indies I started to understand more about bowling and what is required in certain conditions," said Powell, who has played 22 Test matches.

"And playing at Hampshire with Shane (Warne), with his experience, it has really helped me a lot," he said.

"It has brought me a far way in terms of game tactics and how to read batsmen ... how to think as a player on the field."

Warne, 38, played 145 Test matches for Australia between 1992 and 2007 and took 708 wickets. He has played 301 first-class matches and taken 1,319 wickets at 26.11.

Powell said of the legspin legend: "He is willing to share all that he has learnt playing at the international level with anyone".

Powell said after his first game with the club that Warne did not say much but promised to fill in the Kensington Cricket Club player as his season progressed.

"After that, he started to talk to me about bowling, certain things on the field, even when he was bowling and setting up someone, he would say 'look at this now ....' and then 'this is why I did this ...'

"It's just a pity it was just six weeks I got with him," added Powell, a former St. Elizabeth Technical player.

He also praised the way he was used by skipper Warne for the club and recalled a game where he picked up four wickets in an over but was replaced immediately.

And according to the 29-year-old, who made his Test debut against New Zealand at Bridgetown in 2002, he respects that about Warne, though he could have claimed five wickets.

"Those are things I really looked at and found it inspirational for a leader to know how to use his bowlers ... and teaching you at the same time and making you feel comfortable."

Quality coaches

Another learning experience he had while playing in England came through exposure to quality coaches.

Powell, who has 56 Test wickets, is now calling for proper coaches to be installed into Jamaica's club system.

"That is what is lacking now," said Powell, who bowled a once-in-a-lifetime spell of 4-0-4-3 to lead the West Indies to a comprehensive victory over New Zealand in a Twenty20 practice match recently.

"We need proper coaches now at the club level," said Powell.

He said there are quality coaches in the schools and at the national level but wonders "why don't we have them in the middle?"

"We don't want just anybody because they played 10 months, 10 years or 20 years of cricket for a club. We need proper qualified and experienced coaches to work at club level now."

As for the West Indies team which is currently seeking a coach, Powell believes they should get not only an experienced person but someone who can understand Caribbean players.

He also said the new coach must also teach players how to draw a game, before thinking about winning it.

"To win a game, you have to learn to draw it first," he explained.

"If we play to win, we are going to end up losing because you are going to try to make a total quick enough to bowl out a team to win and that is when you don't bat for time, and players lose their wickets.

"I believe what we need is coaches who understand all the basics, know how to draw a game and understand players".

And in understanding the players, according to Powell, the new coach must know how to motivate them when they are down.

"We are getting the coaches who have the good qualifications but we need coaches who played the game and have been in tough situations and can pass on that experience," he said.

After his experiences in England, Powell says he is ready for a greater role within the team.

"I am trying to be the leader of the pack (the West Indies attack)," he said.

"The one who can do anything on the day and can put my hand up and work on taking wickets for West Indies and if they want a 20 or 30 runs at the bottom of the order, I can do it, too," he said.

"That is what I want to do and make the Caribbean proud ... I don't want to play Test cricket and leave the game as just another player. When I finish I want to say, yes, I have given my all to West Indies cricket."