Friday, March 29, 2024

Gibson: ODI good World Cup experience

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WEST?INDIES coach Ottis Gibson believes the ongoing One-Day International (ODI) series against the Black Caps will give the regional cricketers much needed experience for the 2015 World Cup which will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
“We went to Australia earlier this year [last year] and we took a young team because we are trying to expose guys,” Gibson said on the eve of the third ODI against New Zealand in Queenstown which was scheduled to begin last night. (Eastern Caribbean time)
The West Indies are without a number of their first-choice players such as hard-hitting opener Chris Gayle, stylish middle order batsman Marlon Samuels, big hitter Kieron Pollard and fast bowler Kemar Roach, who are all injured.
They also suffered another setback after the first low-scoring ODI at Eden Park which they won by two wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series when left-handed batsman Darren Bravo had to return home for personal reasons. The second ODI at Napier was washed out without a ball being bowled.
“In everything that we do now, we have one eye on 2015 with the World Cup being held over here,” he told the media.
Having suffered an embarrassing 2-0 defeat in the preceding Test series, Gibson maintained that the five-match ODI series would give the regional side some valuable exposure.
“So the fact that players like Holder [Jason] is getting some experience and some of the younger players, especially the batters are getting some experience in these conditions, bodes well for us as we think about 2015.”
In the absence of the established players, the West Indies have been forced to use the likes of Kieran Powell, Johnson Charles and Narsingh Deonarine while Kirk Edwards and wicket-keeper/batsman Chadwick Walton were both required to remain in New Zealand to replace Samuels and Bravo.
Gibson noted that the fast-bowling duo of Holder and Ravi Rampaul had performed admirably in the conditions and once they continued to perform well, it was just a matter of time before they forced their way into the Test team as well.
“They give you control because they use the conditions very well. Ravi has been outstanding for us and it is a shame that he is not involved in the Test cricket, and Holder seems to be developing at a rate that it probably won’t be long before you see him in Test cricket either,” Gibson opined.
Apart capturing 102 wickets in 81 ODIs at an average of 28.98 and an economy rate of 5.02 runs per over, the 29-year-old Rampaul has taken 49 wickets at 34.79 runs apiece in 18 Tests.
Holder, 22, is yet to make his Test debut but has played 12 ODIs, bagging 17 wickets at an average of 27.88.(RB/EZS)

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