Selectors Roger Harper and Miles Bascombe reviews Super50

Thu, Dec 5, '19

 

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - Selectors Roger Harper and Miles Bascombe has congratulated the West Indies Emerging players on winning Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 tournament and cited areas of encouragement and improvement for domestic players.

Harper was present in Trinidad throughout the competition. He combined those duties with recent international squad selection as the first squad selected by the reshaped CWI selection panel, aided the senior team in registering their first 50 overs series triumph since 2014.

He addressed the benefits to the selection panel in having development teams involved in the flagship domestic 50 overs competition.

“What the West Indies Emerging Players team does is provide players, who may have just missed out on selection for their national teams, an opportunity to play.

He continued: “Considering the way these guys have performed, it shows that they are very skilled. They have played as a team from the start and were highly motivated since many of them probably felt they should have made their respective home sides.

“It augurs well to see a team like this, so that you can see that extra bit of talent. Special credit must go coach Floyd Reifer and the rest of the management team for the magnificent job they did with these young players.”

Bascombe who was present for the matches in the St.Kitts leg gave his view on the Emerging players and some tournament observations.

“For me the main take away from the victory by the Emerging players is the depth in the talent pool. These players were not selected by their franchise for whatever reason but that was by no means an indication of lack of ability. They displayed good knowledge of their roles and a planned, strategic approach for which praise must go to their coaching staff but more so to the players who executed well”, said Bascombe.

“On a whole it was heartening to see the lust for runs from batsmen, some better than average scores being convincingly chased down and bowlers bringing all their skills and experience to bear in conditions that favoured batting for the most part.

Harper, the former West Indies vice-captain and Head Coach addressed the tournament generally saying: 

“What has been striking is the way batsmen have put runs on the board. 17 centuries were scored, plus twelve 90s and seven 80s, so it’s been heartening to observe.

He continued: “Rovman and Kieran Powell scoring two centuries each plus seeing Darren Bravo scoring consistently has been particularly good to note.

“We had four five-wicket hauls and 25 four wicket hauls. So the bowlers also showed they can take wickets.”

“The pitches (in Trinidad) started off a bit slow, but it got a little better which meant the batsmen had to get in and apply themselves to score runs. The teams that adapted best got to the semi-finals and final.”

Harper and Bascombe on areas of improvement for regional batsmen: 

“With the batsmen, [we’re looking for] more intensity from the end of 10th over to beginning of 40th over. Also more aggressive running between the wickets to test boundary fielders and generally just picking the gaps a little better”, said Harper 

“I would still like to see a greater effort to eliminate dot balls during middle overs and greater value placed on scoring twos either by more aggressive running between the wickets or better placement or both”, said Bascombe.

Harper on improvements for regional bowlers:

“While guys have taken wickets, the bowling in the death overs hasn’t been as focused as it could be. The bowlers didn’t seem clear on where and how they should bowl, we didn’t see execution of many Yorkers and runs were generally given away on both sides of the wicket.

“So we definitely need to be more organized in this area. Also the fielding needs to be a bit sharper and of course holding a higher percentage of those catches.”

The 56 year old former West Indies test and fifty over off-spinner concluded by highlighting how the men’s selection panel intends to use Super50 performances for West Indies team selection: “There is a lot of 50 over cricket to be played both regionally and for the West Indies team, so guys have a lot of opportunities to showcase their skills and stake a claim for the World Cup squad. 

“So there is time for us to get to the point where we will be 100% clear on what team will take us to the next 50 overs World Cup and have them playing together as a group leading into that tournament.”