PROVE IT!

WHILE encouraged that West Indies completed a calendar year without losing a Test series for the first time since 1994, cricket commentator Joseph “Reds” Perreira says the ultimate proof of a turnaround would be success against the game’s top teams. The Daren Sammy-coached West Indies team surprised some watchers by defeating hosts Bangladesh 1-0 in a two-Test series which ended days ago. That success away from home followed a 1-1 Test series result against visiting Pakistan between July and August, and a 1-0 triumph over touring Sri Lanka earlier in the summer. That success away from home pushed former kingpins West Indies up to sixth in the ICC Test rankings, closely followed by Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who hold the seventh, eighth, and ninth positions, respectively. “Those teams are in the bottom half [of the Test rankings]. And we did well [against] them, but the opposition cannot be described as great,” Perreira told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday. “When we start beating the people above us, when we start beating the people in the top five, then you can really assess whether we’re getting back to being a competitive Test team.” The top five ranked teams include world Test champions South Africa, followed by Australia, New Zealand, India and England. Looking specifically at the Test tour of Bangladesh, the Guyanese-born Perreira said the signs were positive.

PERREIRA...when we start beating the people above us, when we start beating the people in the top five, then you can really assess whether we’re getting back to being a competitive Test team

Left-arm finger spinner Jomel Warrican shone for the visitors with 16 wickets in the two matches to claim the player of the series award. Captain and all-rounder Roston Chase, who bowls off-break, was also influential with the ball in typical spin-friendly Asian subcontinent conditions. The batting unit, spurred by Amir Jangoo, Kavem Hodge and Brandon King, more than held its own, particularly in the drawn second Test during which West Indies twice posted 350-plus scores. Batsman Kevin Wickham, who made his debut in the second encounter, was outstanding, scoring stylish half centuries in both innings. Wickham became only the eighth West Indian to score half-centuries in each innings of his first Test. West Indies had a two-week camp in India prior to the tour of Bangladesh, which is widely believed to have significantly assisted preparations for the unique challenges of playing on pitches in that part of the world. “I think you have to look at the series and accept that a one-nil win playing in Bangladesh on their home patch is a successful tour,” Perreira said. While he noted West Indies could have pushed aggressively for a 2-0 series victory by declaring sooner when they built a big lead in their second innings of the final Test, the veteran commentator acknowledged that they took a safety-first approach. “It’s easy to say [West Indies should have actively chased the win] when you’re watching from umpteen thousand miles away, [but] a win is a win. And they’re now number six in the Test match table,” Perreira said. Wayne Lewis, a former Jamaica batsman and the West Indies Players’ Association secretary, credited the coaching staff for their efforts in crafting the positive results given the general struggles of regional Test teams since the mid-1990s.

LEWIS...it’s good to see Cricket West Indies invested in the team to really allow the coaching staff to have that type of a camp going into a very important Test series.

Lewis pointed to the 3-0 series loss to visiting Australia last year, highlighted by West Indies being humiliatingly bowled out for 27 in the third and final Test. “There was so much speculation around Daren Sammy taking charge of the red-ball team and all the scepticism around that, but he has delivered now. Yes, it was a rocky beginning when Australia bowled us out for 27 at Sabina Park. That was the lowest moment for West Indies cricket. But kudos to Cricket West Indies and him and his staff. We were not [playing] against Australia or England, but still, playing Test cricket and playing Bangladesh in Bangladesh is always very difficult,” the former player told the Observer. He reasoned that the camp in India was a boost. “Playing and getting acclimatised to the conditions will always help. So that’s a plus, and it’s good to see Cricket West Indies invested in the team to really allow the coaching staff to have that type of a camp going into a very important Test series,” Lewis said. “It’s a happy moment for West Indies cricket, and I hope that come next year they can build on that. This is hopefully the beginning of something good for the future, but I’m quite pleased and happy that West Indies really went to Bangladesh and actually won the series. “Don’t take Bangladesh lightly… they went to Australia and embarrassed Australia in that first Test match [in a drawn two-Test series in August]. They [Bangladesh] are a formidable team, particularly in their conditions,” Lewis said.   — Sanjay Myers