Jamaica skipper Wavell Hinds. - FILE
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):
WAVELL HINDS may have been identified as the possible successor to Shivnarine Chanderpaul to lead the West Indies team on the tour of New Zealand, starting next month.
Hinds, a Jamaica captain and West Indies left-handed batsman, would like, however, to pay far greater attention to making a more meaningful contribution in the West Indies before tackling the poisoned chalice of captaincy.
"I would like to think about myself as a cricketer first," he told reporters yesterday , following his country's Carib Beer Series match against Barbados at the Three Ws Oval.
"I'll try to make sure that I can make the team, and make a positive contribution to the team, and support my teammates.
PREPARED TO WORK HARD
"But I'm prepared to work in any capacity that I am asked because I see myself as a very positive person who has a contribution on and off the field. This is a part of my nature, so whenever I am asked I will do whatever it is to the best of my ability."
Last year, West Indies, under Chanderpaul, could muster one Test win in 11 matches and one limited-overs international victory in the same number of contests.
This has led to a call for him to be replaced, despite the under-current of the contracts dispute between the West Indies Players' Association and the West Indies Cricket Board that destroyed the thin fabric of team unity that existed.
"We need to identify one common goal and work towards it," Hinds offered as part of the solution to problems that have beset the team.
"I think the attitude of the players has been perfectly okay from what I have seen so far, but we need to make sure we get the tactical side of things better, and we need to do this very urgently.
"We need to start discussing cricket more off the field and think about match scenarios, and try to improve the players state-of-the-game awareness which has been lacking when we get into various situations," Hinds added.
"I think Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin showed up a lot of senior players in our last series against Australia about how to deal with situations, and we need to make sure we do it at all levels.
We need to let people understand how to live out of a suitcase, and the days that you get up out of the bed and do not feel like playing, that is the day they need to give more of themselves," he continued. "I know we are all human beings and we need breaks, but once you have accepted the commitment before you leave home, you have to go out and execute efficiently."
FEW ISSUES LEFT
Hinds, an executive member of WIPA, revealed that many of the issues surrounding the players and the WICB were close to resolution.
"Only a few issues are left to be thrashed out in the next couple of weeks, but most of the texts in getting the retainer contracts, the memorandum of understanding, and the collective bargaining unit, but I think right now we are operating in good faith," he said.
"Both parties have accepted that cricket must come first, so we will have to come out of our comfort zone and go beyond the call of duty to make sure that all of the issues are thrashed out before the tour of New Zealand."
West Indies face New Zealand in three Tests and five limited-over internationals between February 16 and March 29.
