Gibbs stumps for Jaggernauth
Former world record holder for the most Test wickets Lance Gibbs is of the view that rookie West Indian spinner Sulieman Benn has got to add variety to his bowling armoury in order to be successful at the international level."He has got to bowl six different balls because on that type of track (Providence in Guyana) batsman could get accustomed to you," Gibbs said while endorsing the inclusion of the 26 year old left arm spinner in the West Indies squad after he made his debut in the First Digicel Test against Sri Lanka in Guyana and was retained in the squad for the Second Digicel Test in Trinidad and Tobago.
"I would say he has got the ability but he's got work to do, he could become a success story but it is all in his hands, he's got to learn the strengths and weaknesses as far as batsmen are concerned and use that effectively," Gibbs said in an exclusive interview with DigicelCricket.com.
"In Guyana (during the First Digicel Test) Benn fought the wicket too much, as a spinner you've got to vary your pace, he was particularly flat and this is why he didn't get any wickets in the first innings," the former off spinner said on Tuesday afternoon just after a visit to the Digicel Scotiabank Cricket Experience in Port of Spain.
The 73 year old Gibbs also feels that the second slow bowler in the West Indies squad, off spinner Amit Jaggernauth, should be in the final eleven for the Second Digicel Test match at the Queen's Park Oval in front his home crowd.
"I told him in Guyana not to be too disappointed, it is best to start your Test career on wickets that you know and I'm sure he will be given a chance here (at the Queen's Park Oval)," Gibbs said.
He also said that Benn, who went wicketless in the Sri Lanka first innings but picked up three wickets in the second innings, and Jaggernauth and the other West Indian players should seek the advice and guidance of the former players in order to improve as it is a formula which worked for him during his 18 year international career.
"It is critical that the current players seek the advice of the former players, that is how I learned and these players have got to start doing that," said Gibbs who captured 309 Test wickets in his career from 79 matches.
He said that on the field the bowlers must also assess batsmen quickly and be able to work out and exploit their weaknesses.
"Our bowlers have to learn to bowl to the weaknesses of the batsmen, I found that our bowlers would run up and bowl to a man who is strong on his pads and that is where they are bowling. When you look at the Sri Lankan bowlers and how they bowled to our batsmen, they didn't give them much room," Gibbs said.