Significant positives for the future

Ramnaresh Sarwan

The West Indies will return to the Caribbean in a few days having lost both the Test and ODI series in South Africa. They lost the Test battle 2-1 and are trailing an unassailable 3-0 in the one-dayers with the final two games this weekend. Prior to all this, the Windies had beaten Zimbabwe 3-1 in a one-day series, with the last match being rained out.

Fans will be disappointed with the outcome in South Africa, particularly as things started so well on this occasion for the team, prevailing in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals and triumphing in the first Test, both in Port Elizabeth. While the emotions that accompany defeat are understandable – and it’s been some time since our fans have had good reason to cheer loudly – I think there are some significant positives for the future.

One aspect that stood out for me is that in most matches the Windies never gave up and, for the most part, played positively and made South Africa fight for their success. It was refreshing to see the determination and blossoming of talented players such as Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor. Marlon was certainly the ‘find’ of the series for us. Though he has been around for some time he finally showed the consistently high returns with the bat we always believed he was capable of. It augurs well for the team as we look ahead to tackling Sri Lanka and Australia in the coming months. Having a player of his calibre who can mix sound and patient defence with belligerent attack should bolster a batting line-up that, at full strength, includes the likes of Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and other capable batsmen.

Taylor bowled impressively throughout and often broke partnerships for the Windies. He was ably supported by Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy - all of whom reaped rewards at various stages. I think they have the makings of a good bowling unit once they can work on executing their plans and holding a consistent line and length. It was also good to see some of the newer players coming to the fore as well, such as Sewnarine Chattergoon and Patrick Browne. They seized the opportunities which they got and have so far impressed in the one-dayers.

Another positive from the African tour was that we showed we are capable of matching and beating the best teams in international cricket. Our downfall in recent years has been our failure to maintain the standard which is necessary to secure sustained success. Now that we have exhibited the talent and ability to rise to the challenge, I hope we will be motivated to work towards consistent excellence, thereby moving us up the Test and one-day rankings.

I look forward to all members of the West Indies squad being fit and ready for the imminent home series. It’s no secret that the Windies were hampered in South Africa by injuries and illness to key players, including Chris, Shiv, Dwayne and Fidel. I know our fans will be expecting a strong performance from us and I think that once we concentrate on doing the basics correctly and consistently, we can do well against highly-rated opposition.

Meanwhile, I continue to make steady progress in my recovery from the ankle injury I suffered last October. I have been doing some short sprints on it and it’s feeling good. I can now put more pressure on it. My fitness and training routine are also going well and I am optimistic that I will return to international cricket soon, wearing the maroon cap.