Lack of practice main reason for defeat says Manager

Jan 13, 2009 Sports

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Coach blames lack of players’ mental fortitude

By Sean Devers in Grenada
Guyana plunged to an embarrassing innings and 147-run defeat to the Windward Islands before Tea on day three of their opening regional four-day cricket match in Grenada Sunday as they fell for only their fifth total under 100 in regional first-class competition.
Over the past two years Guyana have retuned home from their opening matches without points but this year, despite the usual rain in Guyana at the end and beginning of the year, the team from South America was confident of success in their first two overseas games.
“We have not done too well in our first few away games in the past but we are confident of getting some points in our two games before we return home since we come up against the Windwards and CCC which are the only teams in the competition never to have won the title,” Coach Albert Smith had said before the first round game.
That Guyana lost so badly yesterday is a surprise since even without match practice before the game at least a draw was expected against a team which usually struggle at regional level.
While Devon Smith’s 212 set the Windwards up for a 414-9 declared total and a few umpiring decisions went against Guyana, the batting of the Guyanese in both innings was way short of first-class standard while the bowling was inconsistent.
“We have once again had to enter a tournament with very little turf practice and it showed here when the guys batted, while for the first time the Windwards had a practice match against the Leewards coming into this game and they looked far better prepared than us,” Smith said after the defeat.
The coach however added that while the rain affected Guyana’s preparation he was very disappointed with the lack of mental fortitude shown by his players in the first round game.
“These are senior players and when you look at they way they batted you get the impression that more brain has to go into their cricket. You can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t know how to use it you will always struggle,” Smith added.
He said that more has to be done by the Cricket Development Committee of the Guyana Cricket Board to address the issue of mental preparation, since while you might expect this problem at the youth level it is worrying for West Indies cricket when players who have reached the senior level don’t seem to understand their roles or show the ability to perform under pressure,” Smith lamented.
“We have a young bowling attack and the thing is that these guys must be able to learn fast. We bowled too many bad balls and I hoped they would have learnt from this game as we head for Barbados. The batting was terrible in both innings and even without Chanderpaul, Sarwan and Chattergoon; this is supposed to be our area of strength,” Smith said.
He said that Esuan Crandon, the only senior bowler in the team bowled well but that Brandon Bess, Davendra Bishoo and Veerasammy Permaul all bowled well in spurts but provided too many bad balls as they lacked consistency.
“I am very disappointed in the manner in which Arjune, a senior player, got out in the first over of the game while Johnson, Dowlin and Deonarine will have to consistently get big scores if we are to do well. Devon Smith wants to get back into the West Indies team and he put his head down and made a double century.

You cannot expect to get to the higher level with 40s and 50s,” Smith opined.
“Having practice sessions is one thing but going out in the middle and showing that you have benefited from those sessions is another thing and I am not sure these guys are mentally prepared for this level of cricket. No doubt there is talent but guys come from youth cricket to senior cricket and I don’t know if their mindset is all that different,” Smith continued.
He said that the team was to practice yesterday and hoped to work on the things that went wrong in the first game since CCC beat Barbados in Barbados last year and should prove a tough opposition after the first round performance by his team.
Manager Carl Moore agreed that the Windwards, who played a three-day practice match in St Kitts, were better prepared.
“We can’t do anything about the weather which continues to affect our preparation every year. I think this (defeat) is a wake-up call for the players and we could say that this was our practice match,” Moore said.
He said that if the team does badly in Barbados, lack of practice cannot be an excuse since they would have already played one game. This is a long series and we have 11 more games to get back into the competition. If the players play to their potential I don’t see why we can’t do well. The problem is that they have to be more competitive and show more commitment on the field,” Moore declared.
He informed that despite the loss the team spirit was very high and the payers are eager to do better in their next game. “Everyone is eager to do well. England is coming here next month and the young players know that if they can do well the West Indies team is not as hard to make as in years gone by. We have a young team and once we work as a team we should get better as the competition progresses,” Moore explained.

Moore added that Sewnarine Chattergoon has contacted him from New Zealand and is available to play in the next match in Barbados.
The Guyana selectors have selected this squad for the first two games but Moore said that Chattergoon, who is expected to arrive in Barbados from New Zealand with the West Indies team on Thursday, is keen on playing against CCC from Friday.
The absence of an indoor practice facility in a country badly affected by rainfall is something the new executive of the Guyana Cricket Board must seriously address after their January 25 elections in addition to the implementation of a mental preparation programme since the lack of mental strength by our young generation is a problem even on the West Indies team.

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