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Windies coach says team upbeat ahead of J’can leg
Ottis Gibson has a chat with Kieron Pollard at a training session.
Barath back after lengthy injury break
WEST Indies cricket coach Ottis Gibson has expressed disappointment at losing the Digicel One-Day International (ODI) series to India, but insists that the spirit of the team is good heading into the fifth and final match at Sabina Park today.
Speaking to the media yesterday, shortly after the arrival of the West Indies and India teams at the Norman Manley International Airport, Gibson asserted that the aim is to end the ODI series on a high note, after triumphing in Monday’s fourth match by 103 runs in Antigua.
“We won a match (Monday), and of course they (the players) would be disappointed that they lost the series. The mood in the camp is still a very good one,” said Gibson.
“The aim is the same every time we go out there and that’s to win. We have a lot of pride to play for and that’s what we intend to do… we are proud people and we are trying to win again as always.”
Meanwhile, some media personnel and representatives from sponsors Digicel were left frustrated after West Indies team officials, led by media manager Phillip Spooner, blocked attempts to interview captain Darren Sammy and members of the squad.
Spooner told the Observer that a press conference was set for yesterday at Sabina Park after the West Indies team’s morning practice and confirmed that batsmen Danza Hyatt and Kirk Edwards have been replaced by opener Adrian Barath and pacer Ravi Rampaul for today’s game.
Gibson, who appeared miffed by a bombardment of questions regarding the status of explosive left-hander Chris Gayle, added: “Gayle would enhance any team but he is not here so we have to get on with it.”
Gayle, who was in spanking form during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 competition, has been sidelined by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) until he gives explanation on comments he made in a radio interview two months ago.
A recent statement released by the WICB read: “Chris Gayle will not be considered for selection to the West Indies team before an intended meeting with himself, the selection committee, the WICB management and the West Indies team management.”
The uneasy relation between the WICB and Gayle, who declined a central retainer contract last year, worsened after the Jamaican was omitted from the squad to face Pakistan in April.
The board had indicated that the selection committee had excluded Gayle because of an abdominal injury he had picked up during the Cricket World Cup earlier this year. After his omission, the opening batsman requested, and was granted, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board to join IPL outfit Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for Dirk Nannes.
Despite granting the NOC, the board expressed disappointment with Gayle, whom it said ruled himself out of contention for West Indies selection, due to the scheduling clash between the Pakistan leg of the Digicel Series and the IPL.
Meanwhile, India’s vicecaptain and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is confident his team will win today to secure a 4-1 series win against West Indies.
“If we keep it simple and stick to the basics we’ll get the right results and that would be nice so we can finish the series on a good note and take a 4-1 victory.
“I’ve enjoyed every moment playing in the West Indies and this is probably the best place to play cricket. Here in Kingston is an exciting venue and I’ve played here in previous tours and we are looking to give our best shot and win the last One-Day,” Singh said.
Squads: West Indies — Darren Sammy (capt), Llendl Simmons, Adrian Barath, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Carlton Baugh Jnr, Andre Russell, Ravi Rampaul, Devendra Bishoo, Kemar Roach, Anthony Martin.
India — Suresh Raina (capt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Parthiv Patel, Subramaniam Badrinath, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Munaf Patel, Yusuf Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Harbhajan Singh.
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