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'I was like a proud dad at Headingley' - Stuart Law

 
sgtdjones 2019-01-16 15:38:43 

'I was like a proud dad when we won at Headingley' - Stuart Law

Stuart Law, West Indies' former head coach, believes that England will be "red-hot favorites" going into next week's first Test in Barbados, but warns that his old side are fully capable of springing another surprise, just as they produced at Headingley two years ago in one of the most sensational run-chases of all time.

West Indies' hopes in the coming series have been boosted by the recall of Darren Bravo, a proven Test-match batsman who played a crucial hand in that Barbados win in 2015. He had been unavailable for most of Law's spell in the Caribbean after becoming embroiled in the stand-off with CWI over player availability for T20 leagues. However, his return to the fray, says Law, is a sign of progress.

"I think there have been massive improvements," he said. "Johnny Grave, the CEO, and Jimmy Adams, the director of cricket, have made massive strides to raise the professionalism.

"But you can't rush these disputes. I didn't really understand the depths, but at times you have to side with the players. I had brief conversations with Darren and he made some very good points.

"He's a high-class player, West Indies could do with his experience, and you'd like to see the commitment from other players as well. But the T20 riches are big, and the West Indies boys are high in demand, so you can't blame them, even if playing for the West Indies is a shop window for these tournaments.

"I didn't blame one player once for choosing T20 cricket over Test cricket. Sure, I was disappointed, as I'd have loved to have them playing for West Indies, but they had other issues to keep to, and supporting their families was one of them."


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