T Becca: Marshall sees quick return to glory days (6 Jul 1998)

6 July 1998

Marshall sees quick return to glory days

Tony Becca

West Indies coach Malcolm Marshall believes that the Windies could be back as champions of the world before too long. According to the ace fast bowler who played in 81 Test matches and holds the West Indies record of 376 wickets, the team he coaches has a lovely chance of defeating South Africa and then Australia in the next two Test series and a great chance of winning the World Cup in England next summer.

"We have one of the best bowling attacks in the world, "we have some brilliant fielders, and if we can find the support for (Brian) Lara, (Carl) Hooper, and (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul, our batting will be okay," said Marshall in St. Lucia on Wednesday.

"As far as the bowling is concerned, we still have two of the best in the business in (Curtley) Ambrose and (Courtney) Walsh, and in (Nixon) McLean we have one of the fastest around - only (Alan) Donald of South Africa can match his pace. Add to those, (Franklyn) Rose, (Mervyn) Dillon, and (Reon) King and we have some good fast bowlers."

"What is really good about the attack is that in right-arm legspinners (Dinanath) Ramnarine and Rawle Lewis, and left-arm spinner Keith McGarrell, we also have three good spinners."

Marshall's concern is the batting.

"Our batting is not what it used to be. We have Lara, Hooper, and Chanderpaul but we need more consistency, and support for them. The batsmen have got to realise that they are selected to bat and they must bat - especially as the bowlers today do not chip in with runs as (Andy) Roberts, (Joel) Garner, and (Michael) Holding used to do. Our bowlers in the 1980s were good for 100, 150 runs between them."

Marshall, who was in St. Lucia to collect his award as one of CARICOM's top 25 sports personalities over the past 25 years, also believes that there is a lot of talent in West Indies cricket and that if properly nurtured and exposed, West Indies cricket will be well served.

"I would like to see two things happen," said Marshall.

The first one?

"As the coach, apart from working with the West Indies team, I would like to work with the youngsters. I would like to go around the islands and have regular sessions with them, and if we can get people like (Roger) Harper, (Gus) Logie, and (Jeffrey) Dujon and whoever else the Board can get involved with such a programme, that would be great. There is a lot of talent, we just have to nurture it."

And the second?

"We now have six teams playing the domestic competitions; we should have eight. We should have a team, call it the Academy, and one of under 19s.

"The territories tend not only to pick their best because they want to win, but also those who they believe can make it into the West Indies team, and because of that, those missed out are left out.

"What that means is there are always players, more experienced players, who are left out, and in the development process, West Indies cricket needs their experience.

"Most importantly however, are the under 19s. There are too many players who represent the West Indies Youth team who are idle during the domestic season. They are idle because they are not selected on the respective territorial teams, and they are not selected because as talented as they may be, they cannot get in ahead of other players. An under 19 team would cater for them and provide them with an opportunity. We need to give our young players as much exposure as we can. In that way, we will really see who is good and who is not."

Marshall would like to see one other change in West Indies cricket.

"I would like to see a change in which players from one territory can play for another. It would be good, for example, not only for the competition but also for West Indies cricket if a batsman who cannot get into his team because the batting is strong was able to play for a team whose batting is not so strong. He would be given a chance and a weak team would be stronger."

According to Marshall, such a move would be good especially for wicketkeepers.

"Unlike batting and bowling, there is only one wicketkeeper on a team. What happens when one team has the two best wicket keepers in the region?"

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)