Sarwan says Chemar Holder should have been in Test squad Feels biggest challenge will come against spin

Jan 10, 2021 Sports

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By Sean Devers

Kaieteur News – Forty-year-old former Guyana and West Indies Captain Ramnaresh ‘Ronnie’ Sarwan said he is surprised that 22-year-old Barbadian Chemar Holder was not selected in a depleted West Indies team to tour Bangladesh for three ODIs and Two Tests starting with the first ODI on January 20.
“I would have probably opted for another fast bowler…I know we are playing in Bangladesh but their batters are better equipped at playing spin than pace. If we had another fast bowler who bowls at 80 miles per hour it would have tested their batters rather than them playing spin.
However though, three left-arm spinners in Bangladesh…I doubt if they will all play together but we have to wait and see. As I said I would have opted for another fast bowler and ask him to be aggressive and bowl in short spells.
I was surprised young Holder from Barbados…was not selected and I don’t think we have enough players to be choosing horses for courses.
We have to make use of what we have and give the confidence to express themselves.
The situation we are facing in the West Indies is we do not have an abundance of talent that we could ship in and ship out players for different conditions,” said Sarwan who announced his retirement from all formats at the Stella Maris Primary School in 2016.
Holder had two wickets and bowled with genuine pace in his only Test match against New Zealand last December.
Sarwan, who made 15 centuries including a masterful 291 against England and 31 fifties from 87 Tests and five tons and 38 fifties in 181 ODIs, was speaking on the ‘Sean Devers Sports Watch’ Radio show on Kaieteur Radio last Wednesday night along with fellow former Windies Test players Reon King and Trinidadian Tony Grey.

Sarwan, who was born in the Essequibo Island of Wakanaam, said he does not foresee too many problems for the batsmen against the Bangladeshi seamers but feels their biggest challenge will come against the spinners.
“What I would recommend is that they back their defence. You also can play spin from your crease very well if you believe in your defence. Most times when the ball is spinning our batsmen tend to find it very challenging and either try and slug their way out or buckle under the pressure so if they can back their defence it could play a major role for them in staying patient and keeping the good balls out,”advised Sarwan, who made his first Test hundred in 2002 against Bangladesh.
The Guyanese made his Regional 50-overs debut as a 15-year-old against Trinidad & Tobago at Bourda and was regarded as one of the best batsmen to spin bowling.
“Once they can do that and spend a long time at the crease they should be able to score runs. Most of them have done it at the Regional level. But you get less bad balls at the higher level and in International cricket you have to spend more time at the crease,” continued the Jamaica Tallawahs assistant Coach.

Sarwan, who at 28 years and 228 days, became the youngest West Indian to reach 5,000 runs when he made a century against England in Jamaica in 2009, feels the pugnacious nature of Jamaica’s Jermaine Blackwood could be a good thing against the home team’s spinners.
“I think young Blackwood, who likes to use his feet, will be aggressive and that could be a good thing because sometimes when the ball is spinning you could bug down yourself too much… so he is one to look out for since the way he plays could put pressure on the bowlers,” added Sarwan.
“In those conditions the Bangladesh left-arm spinners could bowl wicket to wicket and try to get you out LBW and that is something the West Indies batsmen should look out for but I would tell them to back their defence.
While you want to spend time at the crease you also have to be positive. You don’t have to hit the ball in the air or use your feet… you can be positive playing backward or playing forward because I think your body language says a lot as well so if they can do they can conquer the spin,” informed Sarwan, who believes Joshua DaSilva, who has also played one Test, is a very promising player and is one for the future.
Touching on the issue of the senior players choosing safety first by opting not to go to Bangladesh, which is only behind India on the sub-continent in terms of positive Covid-19 cases, Sarwan responded saying you have to respect people’s views.
“Really and truly I can understand the safety reasons in terms of the pandemic which is still going on but in terms of the personal reasons I don’t know what they are. But at the end of the day you have to respect people’s views.
Of course we would have wanted our best team to tour but that has not happened. It also presents an opportunity for the others players selected and let’s hope they grab it with both hands,” Sarwan concluded.

 

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