Sherwin Campbell has been put on notice that he will be called
on to bowl more for the West Indies in future.
I hope he is ready when there is stronger batting in Sharjah,
captain Brian Lara said following Campbells accurate, if
little used, slow-medium wobblers earned him his first four
wickets for the West Indies in the second Biman Millenium
Series match against Bangladesh here Saturday night.
Hes worked hard at his bowling in the nets and did well
enough that I thought he could do a job in the conditions,
Lara explained. He might look pretty easy but he kept a steady
length and line on a pitch that wasnt coming on and got his
reward.
Opening batsman Campbell had sent down only 11 balls, in the
Toronto tournament last month, before the two matches in
Bangladesh. He rarely bowls, even in club cricket in Barbados.
But Lara gave him two overs in the opening match then put him
on second change Saturday night, bowling him through his
allocated 10 overs in succession. He finished with four for 30.
Quick-step
Operating off a quick-step approach of 10 paces and delivering
with a laboured action, about the only time he was off-line was
when he worked in partnership with Ridley Jacobs for leg-side
stumpings. Twice, the ploy paid off as the wicket-keeper
converted wides into dismissals with slick glove work, the
second a blink-of-the-eye effort off a knee-high full toss
round Khaled Mashuds legs.
Campbell, and the West Indies, will find Pakistan and Sri Lanka
altogether different opponents to the limited, outclassed
Bangladeshis and Lara would be a brave man to hand a novice
bowler the ball when the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda
deSoliva, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq are going.
Sharair Hussain and Aminul Islam are fair players but not in
the same league.
Yet Campbells success and the use of Ricardo Powell and Wavell
Hinds as medium-pacers reflects the policy of encouraging
everyone to practise their bowling in the nets so that they can
be used in a pinch or when conditions dictate.
South Africas captain Hansie Cronje, Indias Saurav Ganguly
and Australias Ricky Ponting are three examples of batsmen who
have turned themselves into medium-pacers useful in a one-day
situation and, occasionally, even in Tests.
After the dismal performances in Toronto, where series were
lost 2-0 to India and 3-0 to Pakistan, Lara said the priority
in Dhaka was to win.
We came here to win, to get back into the groove that we had
in Singapore, he noted. We did that and did it well. Granted
Bangladesh are new to this level of the game and that things
will be different in Sharjah, but the guys are going there with
confidence.
The negative, if unavoidable, consequence of the
win-at-all-cost policy here was that the same 11 played both
matches. That left Adrian Griffith, Chris Gayle, Reon King and
Pedro Collins watching but bursting to get some cricket.
Laras 45-ball 100 on Saturday, the second fastest in any
one-day internationals, on the way to an eventual 117 and
Shivnarine Chanderpauls two unbeaten scores of 92 and 77 have
returned the two best batsmen in the team to the form, and
confidence, they lacked in Singapore and Toronto.
Manager Clive Lloyd was convinced the three months lay-off
following the World Cup adversely affected both Lara and
Chanderpaul on this comeback. He would be relieved that they
are now getting back into the groove.
The West Indies took a 4 a.m. flight out of Dhaka for Sharjah
yesterday, only six hours after completing their second victory
under lights at the Bangabandhu Stadium.
Sharjah schedule:
October 13: West Indies v Sri Lanka
October 14: West Indies v Pakistan
October 15: Pakistan v Sri Lanka
October 17: West Indies v Sri Lanka
October 18: Pakistan v Sri Lanka
October 19: Pakistan v West Indies
October 22: Final.