Carew: 'Windies Ignored Warning'
Mon, Nov 10, '03
republished from TRINIDAD GUARDIAN
Joey Carew, former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies opening batsman has expressed disappointment at the regional team's performance in the opening Test match against Zimbabwe which ended at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Prior to the team's departure for the African tour, Carew had warned the side not to take the Zimbabwe cricketers lightly, as its performances in the recent two match Test series against the Australians were commendable.
Set a highly impossible target of 373 to win from the last 83 overs, reckless batting from the West Indies top order batsmen almost cost it the match.
At the end, West Indies was 207 for nine, with Ridley Jacobs (60) and Fidel Edwards (1) at the wicket.
Jacobs and Edwards batted out the last 11.5 overs, to keep Zimbabwe waiting for it first Test win over the West Indies.
Carew's public warning was noted by skipper Brian Lara, who, writing in the Guardian newspaper, said that "Zimbabwe's recent tour to Australia must have lifted its game up a notch, something that we weren't catering for in this match."
A member of the regional senior selection panel and a well-respected and knowledgeable critic, Carew had stated before the tour had started that the West Indies might be tempted to get complacent and approach the series as a warm-up before facing the highly rated South Africans.
"They must play to their full potential or else the Zimbabwe team could surprise them," Carew had warned the team. "Though Brian's responsibility to the Caribbean people stretches way beyond the boundary, the focus at all time must be the continued professional approach of the team. This, he and his technical staff must never lose sight of," Carew stated yesterday.
The former chief executive officer of the Queen's Park Cricket Club, Carew said that he was a bit disappointed that his warning was not heeded, but knowing the fighting qualities of the team, he expects a better showing in the second and final Test, starting at the Queen's Sports Club in Bulawayo on Wednesday.
In four previous Tests against Zimbabwe, West Indies has won three and drawn the other.
Efforts to contact chairman of selectors, Viv Richards for his views on the match proved futile, but knowing the confidence he has expressed in Carew, it is very certain that he will endorse the remarks of his colleague.