Nick Bendel
Australia a safe bet to beat the West Indies
May 11th 2008 08:40
From May 22 to June 16, Australia will hop between Jamaica, Antigua and Barbados, to contest a three match test series with the West Indies.
On paper, it looks a complete mismatch. Starting with Australia’s historic win in the Caribbean in 1995, the two rivals have faced off 25 times, resulting in 18 wins for the Australians and just 6 for the West Indians (along with one draw). The rankings tell a similar story: while the visitors are first by a long way, their hosts are languishing in second last place. The dominant side of the past decade will be expected to trounce a team that is a sad, sad shadow of its former glorious self.
Cricket has been confronted with several unfortunate sagas in recent times: the match fixing scandal that embroiled a number of the game’s leading names; the division of the cricketing community along racial lines; the abandonment of tours for security reasons; the criminal mismanagement of the Zimbabwean governing body.
But has there been anything more pathetic than the seemingly irredeemable decline of the game in the Caribbean? Thanks to a combination of wretched central leadership, abject player performances and growing public disillusionment, cricket’s stature has waned since 1995, when the West Indies lost their unofficial status as world champions to Australia.
While the administrators deserve no shortage of blame, it is the players who must accept the greatest share of responsibility. The problem with West Indian teams of the 21st century is not so much that they have been persistently losing, but the manner in which those losses have occurred. Too often, the total of this underachieving mob has been less than the sum of its parts.
Some players, at least, can hold their heads high. Dwayne Brave, for instance, has consistently produced whole-hearted allround performances, averaging 33 with the bat and 40 with the ball. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is another to have excelled over the years, compiling an impressive average of 47.
The contrast between the taciturn Chanderpaul and his more cocksure juniors, such as Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels, could not be more pronounced. For all their strutting, they have little to show for their efforts: Gayle averages 38 and Sarwan 40, while the talented Samuels collects a measly 29 runs in a typical innings. The bowling has also been inadequate: Fidel Edwards concedes 43 runs per wicket and Daren Powell 46, although Jermaine Lawson can point to a respectable average of 30. While all have been known to fire on their day, unfortunately those days come around infrequently, and seldom in unison.
Australia, on the other hand, has enjoyed an extraordinary run of success since 1995. Few would argue that during this time, the whole has equalled- if not exceeded- the sum of its parts. If those wearing the baggy green have not been averse to doing a little strutting of their own, a commitment to excellence has ensured that it has generally been warranted.
Nevertheless, the potential for an upset exists. To begin with, the West Indians, who have accumulated an appalling away record over recent years, are a significantly better side at home. One need only look back to the last two Caribbean series for proof. In 2003, the home side produced a record fourth innings score of 418, to snatch the final test from the visitors’ grasp. And in 1999, they were able to recover from a trouncing in the first test, in which they were skittled for just 51, to draw the series 2-2.
The other reason not to discount an upset is the many uncertainties concerning the Australians. With the anticipated starting XI containing eight players over 30, is this aging group on its last legs? Can Stuart MacGill overcome his injury concerns and resume his place amongst the world’s foremost spinners? Will the team be able to adjust to Caribbean conditions, given that there is just one practice game? Will Brad Haddin be able to handle the step up to international cricket? Is Ricky Ponting’s slump going to continue? Is the inexperienced pair of Phil Jaques and Mitchell Johnson truly of test standard?
That said, it is difficult to envisage the West Indies snatching back the Frank Worrell Trophy from Australia. Unless their inconsistent players put together 15 days of competitive cricket, while several of their opponents suffer a poor run of form, one would expect the visitors’ superior class to prevail. There is no doubting who Hansie Cronje would be putting his money on.
On paper, it looks a complete mismatch. Starting with Australia’s historic win in the Caribbean in 1995, the two rivals have faced off 25 times, resulting in 18 wins for the Australians and just 6 for the West Indians (along with one draw). The rankings tell a similar story: while the visitors are first by a long way, their hosts are languishing in second last place. The dominant side of the past decade will be expected to trounce a team that is a sad, sad shadow of its former glorious self.
Cricket has been confronted with several unfortunate sagas in recent times: the match fixing scandal that embroiled a number of the game’s leading names; the division of the cricketing community along racial lines; the abandonment of tours for security reasons; the criminal mismanagement of the Zimbabwean governing body.
But has there been anything more pathetic than the seemingly irredeemable decline of the game in the Caribbean? Thanks to a combination of wretched central leadership, abject player performances and growing public disillusionment, cricket’s stature has waned since 1995, when the West Indies lost their unofficial status as world champions to Australia.
While the administrators deserve no shortage of blame, it is the players who must accept the greatest share of responsibility. The problem with West Indian teams of the 21st century is not so much that they have been persistently losing, but the manner in which those losses have occurred. Too often, the total of this underachieving mob has been less than the sum of its parts.
Some players, at least, can hold their heads high. Dwayne Brave, for instance, has consistently produced whole-hearted allround performances, averaging 33 with the bat and 40 with the ball. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is another to have excelled over the years, compiling an impressive average of 47.
The contrast between the taciturn Chanderpaul and his more cocksure juniors, such as Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels, could not be more pronounced. For all their strutting, they have little to show for their efforts: Gayle averages 38 and Sarwan 40, while the talented Samuels collects a measly 29 runs in a typical innings. The bowling has also been inadequate: Fidel Edwards concedes 43 runs per wicket and Daren Powell 46, although Jermaine Lawson can point to a respectable average of 30. While all have been known to fire on their day, unfortunately those days come around infrequently, and seldom in unison.
Australia, on the other hand, has enjoyed an extraordinary run of success since 1995. Few would argue that during this time, the whole has equalled- if not exceeded- the sum of its parts. If those wearing the baggy green have not been averse to doing a little strutting of their own, a commitment to excellence has ensured that it has generally been warranted.
Nevertheless, the potential for an upset exists. To begin with, the West Indians, who have accumulated an appalling away record over recent years, are a significantly better side at home. One need only look back to the last two Caribbean series for proof. In 2003, the home side produced a record fourth innings score of 418, to snatch the final test from the visitors’ grasp. And in 1999, they were able to recover from a trouncing in the first test, in which they were skittled for just 51, to draw the series 2-2.
The other reason not to discount an upset is the many uncertainties concerning the Australians. With the anticipated starting XI containing eight players over 30, is this aging group on its last legs? Can Stuart MacGill overcome his injury concerns and resume his place amongst the world’s foremost spinners? Will the team be able to adjust to Caribbean conditions, given that there is just one practice game? Will Brad Haddin be able to handle the step up to international cricket? Is Ricky Ponting’s slump going to continue? Is the inexperienced pair of Phil Jaques and Mitchell Johnson truly of test standard?
That said, it is difficult to envisage the West Indies snatching back the Frank Worrell Trophy from Australia. Unless their inconsistent players put together 15 days of competitive cricket, while several of their opponents suffer a poor run of form, one would expect the visitors’ superior class to prevail. There is no doubting who Hansie Cronje would be putting his money on.
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