Monday, August 20 2012

BRYAN DAVIS, former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies cricket team batsman, has lauded the regional team for their victories, in all three formats (2-0 in the T20 Internationals, 4-1 in the One-Day Internationals and 2-0 in the Tests) at home to New Zealand.

In his column on the Catholic News recently, Davis wrote, “at last the West Indies cricketers could feel good about themselves at the end of a series against a higher rated team.

They clinically dismissed the pretensions of the visiting New Zealand team by inflicting on them a two-nil thrashing in the two-match Test series.

“This was like refreshing water to a thirsty man as the West Indian skipper, the West Indies Cricket Board and the loyal fans found relief in winning two consecutive Tests, which included a series win — something strange to them!” Davis continued, “Darren Sammy must savour the moment and the team ought to celebrate their performance as they played good cricket and they reaped the rewards. They all deserved their success and no one should take anything away from them.

“I am one of Sammy’s critics but he has earned his right to praise and approval for having stuck to his guns and come out on top.

“He has endured all the pain it must have been to be such a losing captain without a win in sight, plus the insulting remarks of those who believe he should not be on the team.”

He went on to state, “Now he has proven that he has the strength and power, or call it leadership qualities if you prefer, to get his team, including the moody and languid Chris Gayle, the previous captain, to follow him, revealing a team spirit we haven’t seen under any other captain since the days of Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards.

The players have also grown in self-confidence as witnessed by their positive attitude at all times especially when the game wasn’t going their way.”

Turning his attention towards Sammy’s leadership skills, Davis admitted, “Sammy, with all his limitations, does not lack the virtue of courage.

“And he must be motivational — there’s no other way I could see him lifting the morale of his men from the depths of a bottomless pit to push their noses a little higher, to feel what it’s like to breathe fresh air again and earn himself a respite for his next Test match battle.”

He continued, “Let no one begrudge the man his due for he proved that he was a man of strength and assurance, of self-belief and conviction. He never allowed negativity to deter him from his goal and expectation.”

Davis mentioned, “One particular strength that has surfaced is team spirit and this tournament proved what an asset it is to possess.

“However, the skipper still has a lot to learn in the art of field placing (although there’s been a vast improvement) and the rotation of bowlers and decisions when to bat and field on winning the toss; these last two need work!

“In summary the cricketers of West Indies, like their captain, are now maturing and they could build on this confidence to forge further ahead in pursuit of more success.

“Nevertheless they should not let up and allow the taste of one sweet convincing victory over New Zealand in every format of the game mislead them and be converted into arrogance!

“The temptation of thinking you’re a better side than you are could lead to laziness and a lack of preparation. This must be guarded against and resisted,” Davis ended.