by EZRA STUARTin DominicaSIMPLE BATTING mistakes are hurting the West Indies cricket team.But rather than a quick fix, head coach Ottis Gibson believes a long-term batting coach could solve the below-par batting woes which resulted in four unsuccessful run-chases on the first leg of the tour in Antigua.“At the end of the series, hopefully, we will sit down and come up with what I believe is my ideal coaching staff and that would include looking at introducing a batting coach into the set-up again for the long-term,” Gibson said Thursday.Former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams performed the role of technical advisor during the World Twenty20 and according to Gibson “came in and did a very good job.”“Hopefully, at the end of this series, I will sit down with the [West Indies Cricket Board’s] CEO [Dr Ernest Hilaire] and look at the way forward; my ideal coaching staff – and a batting coach would certainly be high on the agenda,” Gibson said.He noted that inspite of the losses, the Windies have still shown they can match the South Africans but are faltering in their awareness of match situations.“Talent-wise, we are not far behind South Africa. Thinking-wise, we are showing that we are very far, and that’s something that we need to get better at,” Gibson contended.“We have not thought through some of the stuff we do enough,” noted the former England bowling coach.He mentioned the dismissal of vice-captain and key all-rounder Dwayne Bravo in the second One Day International at the Vivian Richards Stadium as a case in point when he and Darren Sammy were putting together a partnership threatening to seize the initiative from South Africa.“Bravo got out to the last ball of an over that had conceded 13 runs and it was the last ball of a bowler’s [Dale Steyn] spell. Those little areas we need to get better at,” Gibson said.“Before you win, you have to create the opportunity to win. Those opportunities have not been strong enough,” he added.
