Windies Must Attack Aussies with Spin

My interest in the recent West Indies tours to India and Sri Lanka was to see whether a new and stronger West Indies team was in the making. Despite the defeat in India, a number of players have emerged around which a world beating West Indies team can be created.

The batting of Sarwan, Gayle, Hinds, and, particularly Samuels suggest that the West Indies might well be on its way to finding batsmen capable of taking on the top teams of the world. In making this assertion I have not forgotten the dependability of Chanderpaul or the genius of Lara or the leadership of Carl Hooper.

In the bowling department, the performances of Lawson and Powell, and, to a lesser extent, Drakes and Collins are reason for hope and optimism. What the West Indies needs now is a good all rounder and, as I shall explain, a top class off-spinner.

While the World Cup will have its fascinations and interest, as a West Indian my dream is to beat those cocky and rampaging Australians. That is the real contest! Our people tend to forget how we came within striking distance of beating them in 1998. We went to Antigua leading by two Tests to one. However, the tiredness of Brian Lara (he was just coming off a magnificent 153 in Barbados - a will-sapping performance) and the inept batting in the middle order undermined our chances of success. I think on this occasion with our discovery of a number of young stroke players and emerging fast bowlers, we can turn the tables on the Aussies. But the West Indies need to hone the skills of its fast bowlers, look for a good all-rounder and find an off-spinner of test class.

The Australians historically have been vulnerable to high-class fast bowling and off-spin. The West Indian fast bowlers of the 1980s and early 90s repeatedly demolished the Australians. And the wiles of Jim Laker put them to flight in the 1950s, then Lance Gibbs tortured them in the 1960s, and recently the "Turbanator" Harbajhan Singh destroyed some of the finest Australian batsmen in the last series against India. It is to be noted here that Nehemiah Perry, during the 1998 series, posed searching questions for the Australian batsmen and at times had them on the run. The trick is to find and develop as quickly as possible a good off-spinner.

If, in addition, Lawson, Powell and Collins can really come good in terms of speed, then we should be on our way to reversing the humiliations that the Aussies have inflicted on us for the last eight years. A good all rounder would complement the speed and spin of the team.

Australia will be in the West Indies next year with some of their greatest bowlers, such as Shane Warne and Glen McGrath. However, the 1998 series showed that these bowlers tend to be vulnerable against the attacking stroke play. Lara demonstrated this in Jamaica and in Barbados when he caned the Australian attack. The key here could be Lara and Carl Hooper, who are both superb players of spin, and, suitably encouraged, Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Samuels, Gayle and Hinds can prove to be the trump card for the West Indies. However, there is one caveat: the West Indies will have to be very careful with Brett Lee. The high speed that he can generate can easily undo our batsmen.

And so, I am committing the ultimate sacrilege by looking past the World Cup and waiting with bated breath for the contest with the hard-playing cricketers from the Antipodes.