Windies coach hoping on batting turnaround for Kiwi series

Bridgetown (Barbados), May 5 (IANS/CMC): West Indies coach Ottis Gibson says several performances in the Regional first class season offer hope for his side to make amends for last year’s poor showing in New Zealand, when the Black Caps arrive in the Caribbean later this month.

The Windies were completely outplayed in the 3-Test series late last year to lose 0-2. They were also facing certain defeat in the opening Test before rain intervened to force a draw.

Gibson said that it was important that the Windies turned the page on that series and showed what they were capable of as a batting unit.

“It’s good to see a lot of hundreds coming from a lot of places because that’s indicative of good batsmanship in the region and that’s what’s required at the next level,” Gibson told the Sunday Sun newspaper.

“We haven’t performed well as a batting group recently in Test cricket and we need to look at that. Plus, when last we went to New Zealand we let ourselves down a bit especially in that aspect so I think on our home patch now it’s important that we show that what happened there is not the way we want to play cricket.

“But I’ve had several meetings with (Director of Cricket) Richard Pybus and he has a clear idea where he “wants to take the cricket”.

New Zealand arrive in the Caribbean at month end and will play 3 Tests and 2 Twenty20 Internationals, in a tour running from May 29 to July 6.

The West Indies are expected to embark on a training camp here within a fortnight.

Gibson said judging from the returns from the first class tournament, the West Indies had plenty options to choose from to form their bowling attack.

“Spin dominated the bowling again in regional cricket so it was good to see Jerome Taylor back on the park as his coming back into cricket is a big plus for us with Kemar Roach out with an injury,” Gibson pointed out.

“Hopefully Kemar will be okay as well and then that gives us a really strong fast bowling line-up to choose from. Then we still have Shane (Shillingford), Sunil Narine and now Sulieman Benn is bowling very well again this season so it looks like we can choose a really quality bowling attack.”

–IANS/CMC

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