Should The Windies Turn To Spin ??

[TheSheik]

The Windies have a pop-gun opening attack that would have Michael Holding & co in near tears. To be belted for near 400 in a day like they have just shows how bad they really are.

Has the production line of quicks finally dried up and should they be looking at an alternative like producing a few quality spinners instead ?? In the old days, they would just get another quickie from out of the trees and he was faster always than the one he was replacing. But it seems that there just isn't the same qualkity being produced now.

They have always been susceptible to the tweakers, Warne has had great success against them. You would have to think that if they had more quality ones in their domestic competition, their batsmen would learn to deal with them better too.

[crudbucket]

Fair point in theory, but unfortunately their spinners are even crappier than their quicks at the moment.

They have a very english mentality at the moment - lets try not to lose, and if by some chance we win, that would be good too!

[Nige_Bix]

I guess the theory is you pick your best bowlers but it seems they are lacking in all departments atm.

[dr nick]

i guess you can never have a team that is playing really well. it's just the other team is always playing so **** poor (or thats what people will have you believe)

nah, it can't possibly be that this is the greatest outfit ever to stride onto a cricket field, the other teams must be crap, the whole lot of them.

[crudbucket]

I don't quite see what that last load of crap has to do with a discussion on the merits of the Windies bowling strength?

[dr nick]

Originally posted by crudbucket
I don't quite see what that last load of crap has to do with a discussion on the merits of the Windies bowling strength?

what grade did you get up to in school?? do i have to turn the bleeting obvious meter up to full?

and by the way... don't end statements with question marks. they gave that lesson in grade 5.

[crudbucket]

bleeting?

I wouldn't question anyone's education, you stooge.

[Black Thunder]

If they had a decent spin bowler, then yes, of course they should. But there spin is hopeless.

[EagleBlue]

Originally posted by Black Thunder
If they had a decent spin bowler, then yes, of course they should. But there spin is hopeless.

As opposed to their fast bowlers ????? At least the spinner would add variety if nothing else

[Dipper]

Originally posted by TheSheik
In the old days, they would just get another quickie from out of the trees


I'm surprised the PC police haven't collared you for this one.:eek:

[Black Thunder]

Originally posted by EagleBlue
As opposed to their fast bowlers ????? At least the spinner would add variety if nothing else

nah, it would probably just add to the amount of balls heading into the stands.

If you've got a choice between crap med or crap tweaker go the med because they might actually rush the ball onto the bat.

The Windies tweakers are more slow bowlers than anything else :p

Remember that Nagamotoo guy?? He CAN NOT bowl.

Apparantely they have a 19/20 year old guy who is really quick who was 12th or 13th man for this test, he should've been picked.

[Black Thunder]

Tino Best was the name of that quickie, and his stats are quite impressive:

Born 1981.
FC 2002/03: 39 wkts (leading FC wicketaker in 2002/03) at 18.25 from 9 matches. S/R: 29.1
FC Career: 62 wkts at 22.16 from 17 matches. S/R: 37.1

never seen him bowl but thats pretty good. He definately should've got a run. Pedro Collins is crap, and Vincent Drakes should be dropped although he wouldn't have because he got a 5-for in the last test.

Another young quicky i dug up is Jason Bennett.

He too has pretty good stats:

Born 1982:
FC 2002/03 and Career: 30 wkts at 19.40 from 6 matches. S/R: 35.2

He is still very young and raw, so they'd have to wait at least one more season to see how he pans out. He may have just had a great start.

As for the spinners, heres a list of spinners in the Windies (there are a couple that would at least be worth a go):

Omari Banks - currently number 1 spinner in the Windies if the selections for the 2nd test are anything to go by:
Born 1982, right arm off spin.
FC 2002/03: 25 wkts at 36.40 from 7 matches, S/R: 77.7
FC Career: 54 wkts at 37.53 from 20 matches, S/R: 88.3
THAT seriously can't be the best they have.

Other guys:

Neil McGarrell
Born 1972, left arm off spin.
Test Career: 17 wkts at 26.64 from 4 matches, S/R: 71.2
FC 2002/03: 32 wkts (2nd highest in WC FC 02/03) at 22.65 from 8 matches, S/R: 66.9
FC Career: 233 wkts at 25.80 from 66 matches, S/R: 71.5
Looks pretty reasonable, if not abit old, but still looks to be the best they have. Never seen him bown, but if they are looking for a spin option he probably is the one from what i can find. He did allright in his tests (last played in 01/02) and I can't see why he was dropped.

Ivan Jackson
Born 1974, right arm leg break
FC 2002/03: 31 (3rd highest in WC FC 02/03) at 26.70 from 7 matches, S/R: 67.4
FC Career: 83 wkts at 26.87 from 22 matches, S/R: 65.4
Also looks not to bad, although the Windies haven't had luck with leggies over the years. Is quite old to make a bolt and get a test spot, but looks to be the best bet for a leggie.

Mahendra Nagamootoo
Got quite a few wickets this year but was quite expensive (average 36) but I can't be bothered to go over him, he's crap.

Gareth Breese
Born 1976, right arm off spin
FC 2002/03: 28 wkts at 22.85 from 7 matches, S/R: 56.4
FC Career: 131 wkts at 22.85 from 42 matches, S/R: 59.7
Played one test over the summer against India - took 2 wickets. Also another guy who should be looked at because he has a good FC record and he's at a pretty good age.

Sulieman Benn
Born 1981, left arm off spin
FC 2002/03: 27 wkts at 19.14 from 7 matches, S/R: 49.6
FC Career: 92 wkts at 26.76 from 24 matches, S/R: 59.5
Going on stats its very hard to see how Omari Banks was put into the test squad infront of this guy. Looks like may be a good future investment but is probably to raw at the moment.

Nehemiah Perry
he's now 35 and his career is over, but I'm using him as a guide here, and the fact he could average 23.72 taking 22 wickets with a strike rate of under 60 in the past FC season doesn't fill me with confidence of the standard that the above spinners have managed to perform against.

So at the moment, I think they're best avenues of spin lie with McGarrell, Jackson and Breese. They have one right arm and one left arm offie and a leggie there, so theres a good mixture.

The best investements for the future seem to be Benn, and perhaps Banks but his performances have been very rank average and somehow been rewarded with a spot in the test squad.

There is also Dinanath Ramnarine, he's 28 now and seems to be a bit past his best, but he could also be in the mix.

As for their quicks, what about guys like Cameron Cuffy and Reon King??

Those two are much better bowlers than any of the current 3 quicks in the team, and must've been injured during the season, but both still managed to finish with good stats.

[Black Thunder]

If it where upto me, this would be my Windies lineup.

Chris Gayle (Sherwin Campbell because Gayle is out)
Devon Smith
Daren Ganga
Brian Lara
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Samuels because Chanderpaul is injured)
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Ridley Jacobs (Baugh because Jacobs is injured)
Reon King
Cameron Cuffy
Mervyn Dillon
Neil McGarrell
Vasbert Drakes (12th man)

Ganga I can't believe has got 2 tons against him and I wouldn't have him in there if not for those 2 knocks, but you can't drop him after that.

Samuels is out form, but because of Chanderpauls injury or whatever it is he would be in there at the moment.

Bernard is crap, get him out of there.

Hinds exactly the same - Campbell at least has some runs on the board and isn't too bad of a batsmen, even if he's 33.

Given though that Bernards nearly average 50 last FC season it must show the lack of bowling skill.

I know I said before they probalby should have a spinner, but there does seem to be some guys who can at least get the ball down there and do something with it.

Obviousbly I haven't seen many of them (only Nagamootoo and Perry), and stats can be very misleading with spinners.

[Perty4]

Gayle
Smith
Ganga
Lara
Sarwan
Chanderpaul
Samuels
Baugh
Drakes
Dillon
Best/Lawson

12th: Banks/Perry/Nagamootoo/McGarrell/Ramnarine/roger Harper/ any spinner worth chucking in there.

[TheSheik]

Originally posted by DIPPER
I'm surprised the PC police haven't collared you for this one.:eek:

Mate, in the good old days of Windies fast bowlers, they seemed to grow them on trees like fruit. When one went bad, they'd just go and pick another ripe one. It was like a fertile orchard to be honest !!

[Black Thunder]

a fan of the 3 pronged bowling attack perty??

I would've thought if the windies didn't want to follow the traditional team make up they'd go with 5 bowlers rather than 3. THey need all the help they can get.