No warmup before the Tests

[Silvamaine]

I never said call it off...we just need the WICB to show some spine, the way the Aussies and the English do. Instead, the WICB seems to grovel like the slave driver it is, and say, 'Yes, Massa' whenever any other board tells them what it's going to do. And like the slave driver it is, the WICB only has a whip for its own slaves, the players....

Don't get me started on that mike. For years that's what has frustrated me about the WICB. Their mentality is still stuck fifty years ago, where they appease their Colonial-Masters or any other Country representative, who happen to be Caucasian and therefore have a inferiority-complex. Yet they would discipline their fellow-people in various parts of the Caribbean, with a Iron Fist, like they get some satisfaction by making an example out of them, why?..because they can.

The bottom line is that this is a illustration of where we have people in Authority, who act like big fish in a small pond, yet when they have to correspond on a broader scale and have to swim with the sharks, they get overwhelmed and intimidated. Well that's Political brainwashing for you, i almost feel sorry for them, if players and fans of West Indies cricket didn't have to suffer for their actions.

[POINT]

This is precisely why I have always advocated that the WICB mandates extended duration of the Regional Tournaments in ALL the versions of the game . As I have stated very often on this Forum having a 1 week Camp for our Players before playing International Matches in inadequate if WE want our Team to be as competitive as their International counterparts .

My take is that the WICB has never taken into consideration , the fact that unlike most Players
on International Teams , OUR Players are Part Time Cricketers , this fact is also lost on those in the Region who claim to be Sport5s Journalists , but in fact are complicity with the WICB in the current Sad , Sorry State of Cricket in the Region .

[POINT]

Look at the current Regional ODI Matches . My view is that having just three matches is unhelpful to our Players . Test Matches are like Marathons , they call for tremendous Physical and Mental Stamina , to be truly competitive .

Our Players do not play enough Cricket to build up their Mental and Physical Stamina which would be very helpful in making them competitive . The reason why Kanhai , Sobers et al could bat for long hours is due to the fact that they were Full Time Players . It also explains why Pace bowlers like Holding and others had the ability to bowl unchanged for over an hour .

The Physical and Mental strengths of our Players started declining when our Players were banned from England , this relegated their status to being Part Time Cricketers . The Sad thing is that the WICB seems either not to have recognized this , or completely ignored it ; despite the fact that One of the main problems of Cricket in the Region is that our Players are not playing enough Cricket in all the versions of the game .

This is also a factor not only in the decline of the standard of Cricket in the Region ; but the low scores made by our batsmen Regionally and Internationally . Now the fact that the WICB is not doing anything much to remedy this situation , is one of the reasons why I want the WICB to get out of the governance of Cricket in the Region .

[AFRO]

This is precisely why I have always advocated that the WICB mandates extended duration of the Regional Tournaments in ALL the versions of the game . As I have stated very often on this Forum having a 1 week Camp for our Players before playing International Matches in inadequate if WE want our Team to be as competitive as their International counterparts .

My take is that the WICB has never taken into consideration , the fact that unlike most Players on International Teams , OUR Players are Part Time Cricketers , this fact is also lost on those in the Region who claim to be Sport5s Journalists , but in fact are complicity with the WICB in the current Sad , Sorry State of Cricket in the Region .

THAT'S RUBBISH, The trini players played the CARRIBEAN T20, then they played the FOUR DAY competition, then they played the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, AND most of them like Simmons, Rampaul, Barath and Darren Bravo HAVE PLAYED INTERNATIONAL CRICKET WITH WI IN-between those competitions, FURTHERMORE Shiv, Chesney Hughes, Darren Bravo and Kemar Roach PLAYED COUNTY CRICKET ASWELL,

Then we look at the HPC, THEY TOURED DUBAI THE OTHER DAY, before that all of them played for their countries in the Four day competition and many of them also played for the A-team vs Pakistan at the end of last year, now there is another A-team series coming up next month,

SO STOP MAKING INACCURATE STATEMENTS!!..all it does is make your argument look foolish and weak.. .

[POINT]

You evidently forgot to read the Title of this Post . It was about Test Matches . I am saying that Test matches require Players to be able to concentrate for long periods both Physically and Mentally . If they want to be competitive .

I am also making another point which is factual ; that ,is that in the International Cricket Arena , our Players play less Cricket than the Players on Teams ranked above our Team ; WHY ?? because their Players are Full Time Cricketers , while our Players are Part Time Cricketers .

The more Cricket any Player the more his or her skills get enhanced ; in my opinion , I hope that you agree ; basically when our Players are not representing the Region or playing in the Regional Tournaments they are Idle . Meanwhile Players on other International Teams are playing Cricket .

Another point that has escaped the WICB and those who say they are Cricket Fans , is this , the Standard of Cricket in the Region is lower than that of Countries ranked above our Team . Do you care to dispute this ? .

For nearly 10 years the WICB did not send any promising young Players to reputable Cricket Academies ; That ,I submit has an impact on the competitiveness of our Players . The WICB and the various Scribes in the Region do not mention this fact . This is compounded by the fact that the Pitches on which the Regional Tournaments are played are not properly prepared . Do you care to take umbrage about that ?? .

[AFRO]

You evidently forgot to read the Title of this Post . It was about Test Matches . I am saying that Test matches require Players to be able to concentrate for long periods both Physically and Mentally . If they want to be competitive .

Nonsense, i highlighted the part i was talking about which was your claim that our players are "part time cricketers", YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR A LONG TIME BUT IT'S NOT TRUE AND I'VE ALREADY PROVEN IT'S NOT SO STOP SAYING IT,

I am also making another point which is factual ; that ,is that in the International Cricket Arena , our Players play less Cricket than the Players on Teams ranked above our Team ; WHY ?? because their Players are Full Time Cricketers , while our Players are Part Time Cricketers .

Oh really? so can you provide the statistics from the Sri-lanka and Pakistan players please? seeing as you clearly know how much cricket they play on a yearly basis can you provide the evidence? and then we can compare it to our own players, if you can't then STOP SAYING IT,

Another point that has escaped the WICB and those who say they are Cricket Fans , is this , the Standard of Cricket in the Region is lower than that of Countries ranked above our Team . Do you care to dispute this ? .

Erm YES I DO, in what way is the Sri-lanka and Pakistan regional game better than ours? again would you like to provide some evidence? because this year the ENGLAND LIONS came to the Caribbean and played in the four day competition AND ONLY WON TWO GAMES, many of the players in that team are playing for the England senior team now, and James Hildreth (who captained the side) claimed in an Interview that "OUR DOMESTIC COMPETITION IS ON PAR WITH COUNTY DIVISION ONE), which is confirmed HERE in a post by our very own MikeSiva, so again please provide some facts to back up your claims if you dare!!, another thing to note is two county teams played in our T20 competition AND WERE BEATEN,

For nearly 10 years the WICB did not send any promising young Players to reputable Cricket Academies ; That ,I submit has an impact on the competitiveness of our Players . The WICB and the various Scribes in the Region do not mention this fact . This is compounded by the fact that the Pitches on which the Regional Tournaments are played are not properly prepared . Do you care to take umbrage about that ?? .

WHAT "REPUTABLE CRICKET ACADEMIES"? can you name them please? and then tell me why a different country would take on a West Indian youngster and in turn take a place away from one of their own? some west indian yutes have been lucky enough to go to school in England and have had the chance to join county sides aswell, namely Anthony Alleyne, Chesney Hughes, Maurice Chambers, Chris Jordan and Jahmar Hamilton, BUT THAT COMES WITH A RISK as they could possibly be stolen by England,

But now the HPC is in place why would we want to send them anywhere? for all your moans about the WICB you don't seem to want to give them credit for getting it up and running, which is just sad really.

[AFRO]

Mike you were right!!.. the lack of warm up games really did make a difference in this tour!! .

[mikesiva]

Glad to see you agree, Afro....

If our guys had been properly warmed up, maybe we could've beaten Bangladesh in three days, and won the series 2-0. Who knows?

But because we didn't have a warmup, we had to settle for being outplayed in a mercifully rain-ruined first Test, and coming back to win the Second Test. As a result, we have lost a point in the ICC Test rankings because we only won 1-0....

I guess we'll never know, will we? But I would at least like to see the WICB taking tour preparation matches more seriously, like the Aussies are in this four-day warmup:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-afric ... 14028.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And they're only playing two Tests as well....

But the Aussies insisted on a warmup, rather than schedule three Tests with no warmup. A message for the WICB in India maybe?

[AFRO]

Glad to see you agree, Afro....

If our guys had been properly warmed up, maybe we could've beaten Bangladesh in three days, and won the series 2-0. Who knows?

But because we didn't have a warmup, we had to settle for being outplayed in a mercifully rain-ruined first Test, and coming back to win the Second Test. As a result, we have lost a point in the ICC Test rankings because we only won 1-0....

I guess we'll never know, will we? But I would at least like to see the WICB taking tour preparation matches more seriously, like the Aussies are in this four-day warmup:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-afric ... 14028.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And they're only playing two Tests as well....

But the Aussies insisted on a warmup, rather than schedule three Tests with no warmup. A message for the WICB in India maybe?

LOL keep clutching at straws Mike!! , WE WOULD NEVER HAVE WON THE FIRST TEST, even if we had a great start to the first innings, all they would have done is come back and play for a draw so your reasoning is totally NAIVE, the fact is you moaned to the high hills about the lack of a four day warm up (even though we had three one day warm ups in dubai) and when we lost the ODI and drew the test you used this excuse as a stick to beat the WICB with, but now you've been left with PIE ON YOUR FACE because guess what Mike? WE WON BOTH THE ONE DAY AND TEST SERIES!! ,

You can try and save face if you want but you've been caught out here Mike!!..it's as simple as that.

[Googley]

But because we didn't have a warmup, we had to settle for being outplayed in a mercifully rain-ruined first Test, and coming back to win the Second Test. As a result, we have lost a point in the ICC Test rankings because we only won 1-0....

excellent piont, Mike!

WI performance between those two games were like night and day! Once they worked out the lack of practice in the first test, the players settled down in the second...we all see how that turned out!