"If the guys could hear me" - Ian Bishop urges West Indies to 'pick themselves up' after a tough loss in ENG vs WI 2nd Test
Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop has urged Kraigg Brathwaite and Co. to quickly move on from a demoralizing defeat against England in Nottingham in the second Test. Bishop stressed that the third and final Test holds as much importance as the first two matches even with the series already lost.
After an innings defeat at Lord's in the first Test, the West Indies delivered an improved performance at Trent Bridge, especially on the batting front. Having conceded 416 on the first day, the visitors took a 41-run lead in the first innings, headlined by Kavem Hodge's ton.
However, they capitulated to 143 in the fourth innings while chasing 385 to lose the Test and series with it.
In a video uploaded on West Indies cricket's official social media handle, Bishop tried to motivate the team after a heavy defeat in Nottingham. He said:
"If the guys could hear me now, they have to pick themselves up. I know it is hard and know there maybe a lot of the mental energy was drained by their application with the bat in that first innings, magnificent score and the sort of capitulation in that 2nd innings. But Edgbaston is important to continue learning."
The visitors' most notable part of their first innings' batting performance in Nottingham was how their tail played. No. 11 Shamar Joseph's 27-ball 33 was instrumental in handing them a 41-run lead.
"You want to go there with confidence" - Ian Bishop reminds West Indies of their upcoming series against South Africa
Bishop said that every game for the West Indies was about playing with pride. He also reckoned the upcoming home series against a tough South Africa was a motivation to do well in Edgbaston. He added:
"The Richards-Botham Trophy goes to England, but then there's the South Africa series on the back end. So you 1 to 1 know, you represent the people of the West Indies in every game. You play with pride and that should be enough. And that should be enough to energize you.
"If that's not enough, you're coming up against South Africa less than a week or about a week's time later on and you want to go there with confidence. So, there's still a lot to play for, for a team that's still learning."
Windies' two-Test series against South Africa begins on August 7.