Richardson - Windies Down But Not Out (18 Jan 1996)

Thursday 18, January 1996

Cricket: Windies down but not out, says Richardson

SYDNEY, Wednesday - West Indies` captain Richie Richardson maintained on Wednesday his side would still be a force in the forthcoming World Cup despite an abject performance on their tour of Australia.

Richardson and his team flew out of Sydney on Wednesday after losing five of their eight World Series matches and failing to qualify for the finals of the limited overs competition.

Sri Lanka won the right to take on Australia in the three-match World Series finals, starting in Melbourne on Thursday, when they defeated Mark Taylor`s Australians by three wickets in the final qualifying match on Tuesday night.

That failure came after West Indies lost the Frank Worrell Trophy to Australia at home last year, which in turn was followed by their disappointing and strife-torn tour of England.

To make matters worse for Richardson as he and his team mates jetted home, the immediate future of world record-holder batsman Brian Lara was still uncertain with less than a month before the start of the World Cup.

As the West Indians tumbled to defeat in Australia, Lara was still cooling his heels at home after pulling out of the tour because of disciplinary action taken against him after the England series.

The West Indies` selectors are due to meet in Barbados next Tuesday to select their final 14-man squad for the World Cup. Lara has been included in a provisional squad of 18.

In a statement, the West Indies Cricket Board of Control said it would hold a training camp in Barbados from January 31 to February 6.

Despite the series of setbacks, Richardson told reporters in Sydney his side`s World Cup chances were the same as those of any of the other cricketing powers.

"They are as good as anybody`s,`` Richardson said. "But it`s going to be very, very competitive. There`s Australia and South Africa and Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan are playing at home, so it`s very difficult to predict.``

Richardson was heartened by a marked improvement that saw his side win three of their last four World Series games.

"It showed that we have still got something in us and now we go home to reflect, regroup and work on our weaknesses to try to improve for the World Cup,`` Richardson said.

Of those weaknesses, Richardson pinpointed his side`s fragile batting as the major contributor to their run of losses.

"We have got to improve in all areas, especially our batting,`` Richardson said.

"Obviously it`s very disappointing we didn`t get to the finals. Maybe we just didn`t play well enough.

"But I think it was mainly our batting. We didn`t bat as consistently as we are capable of doing and that`s where we fell short.``

One of the few positive signs to emerge from the tour was the performance of pace bowler and lower order batsman Ottis Gibson, who had been overlooked for the West Indies`s first three World Series matches.

"Certainly, Ottis Gibson stands out, he bowled very, very well and also betted well,`` Richardson said.

Source :: Lake House/Lanka Internet