We must rotate strike better - Sammy

Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, has urged his batsmen to post "bigger, match-winning totals" and singled out the rotation of strike as an area his team needs to improve upon in the fourth ODI against Pakistan in Barbados. The visitors have already taken the series 3-0 but Sammy is hoping to "pull one back" at the Kensington Oval.

"Rotating the strike is one area we have to get better at," Sammy said. "If we rotate the strike, that upsets the rhythm of the Pakistan bowlers and that would lead to us posting bigger, match-winning totals.

"The 'dot ball' percentage has been high and we need to combat the opposition bowlers. One of our major problems has been that we have not been putting enough runs on the board. As a batting unit we hit a lot of boundaries, but we have to get better at ticking over the strike, especially against the Pakistan spinners."

The West Indian batsmen failed to post competitive totals in all three games so far, struggling to score against offspinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal in particular. In the first two matches in St Lucia, they were restricted to 221 for 6 and dismissed for 220. They had reached a sound position of 92 for 1 in the 21st over in the third at Bridgetown before they collapsed for 171 all out.

The bowlers also managed to take only five Pakistan wickets in the first two matches, but came close to winning the third, in which they took seven. Pakistan were 49 for 4 at one stage before Misbah-ul-Haq steered them to a series-clinching victory.

"I can't fault the bowlers," Sammy said. "They have been superb for us and brought us close to a victory in the last match. I believe if we put the runs on the board, the bowlers will do the job for us. We are looking to create winning opportunities and when we do that we have to grab it with both hands."

West Indies brought back Ramnaresh Sarwan to the squad after he had been left out for the first three games. Sarwan's previous appearance was the quarter-final defeat against Pakistan in the World Cup. "We know he is a good player," Sammy said. "With him back it is a plus for the team and we wish him all the best. He will be a key player in those middle overs as we look to keep the strike ticking."