Tony Becca - FROM THE BOUNDARY THE WEST Indies next assignment will be against Zimbabwe and after their brilliant performance in the final Test against Australia, then their victory over Sri Lanka, they should be hot favourites to win the two-match series.
After Zimbabwe, however, it will be South Africa, and although the West Indies are not yet good enough to take anyone for granted, the Zimbabwe series is likely to be used as a dress rehearsal for South Africa not so much as far as the Windies batting is concerned but more so their bowling.
WI BATTING IN GOOD HANDS
The consensus, it appears, is that with the likes of Christopher Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels plus the experienced Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies batting is in good hands.
The fear, however, is that despite the presence of pacers Corey Collymore, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul and offspinner Omari Banks plus the experienced pacers Mervyn Dillon and Vasbert Drakes, the bowling is not yet ready - certainly not to take on a team like South Africa, and as talented as the young pacers and the young offspinner may be, the fear seems justified.
The reason why the batting appears in good hands is not only because of the talent of Gayle, Hinds and company but also because of the presence of Lara and Chanderpaul.
The reason why the bowling is not yet ready is not because Collymore, Taylor and company are not talented. It is because bowling calls for experience, because they are young and inexperienced, and because Dillon and Drakes are nowhere near the class of Lara and Chanderpaul.
In preparing for South Africa, therefore, the West Indies problem will be to find an attack to deal with Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis and company, and without under-rating them and running the risk of losing, that is why, as far as the bowling is concerned, Zimbabwe should be used as a dress rehearsal.
Instead of looking at Dillon who has never shown the stomach for a fight and who is lacking in real pace, and Drakes who, despite his competitiveness, lacks pace, the West Indies should concentrate on three from Collymore, Taylor, Edwards and the really gifted Rampaul. In fact, based on the performance of Collymore, Taylor and Edwards in the last Test match the West Indies played, based on the performance of Dillon and Drakes up to then, the three young pacers, along with Banks, should form the West Indies attack in the opening Test match.
What is important, however, is that even if they do not bowl as well as they did at Sabina Park against Sri Lanka, even if they do not pick up as many wickets as they did in that Test match, the West Indies should stick with them in an effort to get them ready for South Africa.
BOUNCY PITCHES IN SA
The pitches in South Africa are fast and bouncy, and unlike Dillon and Drakes who are no better than ordinary, Taylor, Edwards and Rampaul, three youngsters with immense potential, could, if they bowl well, preen themselves on them - as could Daren Powell if selected.
According to the "little bird", young Carlton Baugh Jnr. may well be the first choice wicketkeeper in Zimbabwe with Ridley Jacobs as the reserve, and if that is so with the wicketkeepers, then all the more reason why that should be so with the bowlers.
If Jacobs, who has done so well for the West Indies, will be sidelined for Baugh, who still has a lot to learn, then Dillon and Drakes, who have not done as well for the West Indies, who do not promise to do as well, should be side-lined - not only for Collymore, Taylor and Edwards who have done well so far, but also for Rampaul who certainly looks the part.
The absence of Dillon and Drakes in the West Indies attack will not lessen the West Indies chances of defeating Zimbabwe. Their absence, however, and therefore the presence of Collymore, Taylor and Edwards and probably Rampaul will better prepare the West Indies to take on South Africa.
