Windies hoping to avoid old batting problems in new Pooran era
Holland, – West Indies usher in a new era when they face the Netherlands under new captain Nicholas Pooran but are hoping the old batting habits which have plagued them this year do not resurface as they search for their first series win of 2022.
The Caribbean side suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to minnows Ireland at the start of the year and also endured a chastening 3-0 whitewash at the hands of powerhouses India a month later in February, both defeats coming as a result of sub-standard batting.
Pooran, appointed captain after Kieron Pollard suddenly quit international cricket last month, said he was hoping for a fresh start from his batting group.
“We’ve had some healthy discussions,” the left-handed strokemaker told a media conference yesterday ahead of today’s opening One-Day International.
“We know as a team we need to bat 50 overs and we believe here is the right place to start, so we’re looking forward to batting 50 overs once we get the opportunity and hopefully that’s a start and that’s a stepping stone for us.” He added: “Between the last series and now we had two months. Guys went back home, there was a camp in Antigua as well and a lot of guys went there and were working on their batting so hopefully what they learnt in that camp, they can go out tomorrow and in this series and try to execute what they learnt.
“We can’t make runs every single game but hopefully as a team we can learn from our mistakes, learn from the past and hopefully the future is bright and we can start batting properly as a batting unit.”
Pooran’s form too has been patchy in ODIs this year, scraping 77 runs from six innings. He will be joined by vice-captain Shai Hope as the batting leaders, the right-handed Barbadian one of the leading ODI batsmen in the world with a career average of 50 from 89 matches.
Hope, along with opener Brandon King, was among those scoring hundreds in the CWI first class championship before leaving for the current tour, and Pooran believes that form will be a boon for West Indies.
“I think it will benefit us. A couple of the guys scored centuries in that [third round of matches],” said Pooran.
“I think here in these conditions with the place this cold it (ball) may seam around, it may swing around a bit so I’m looking forward to seeing those guys put their technique into play.
“Obviously with the confidence from the last four-day round, the guys can use that confidence and come and try to execute their skills, try to spend some time at the wicket as well so we can put enough runs on the board and try to bat 50 overs.”
The series marks West Indies’ first in the European nation and represents the ideal opportunity for them to finally get a series win this year. But Pooran said his side would not get ahead of themselves and neither would they underestimate their opponents, ranked five places below them in the ICC ODI charts.
“I believe we are ready to play. We’ve been here a couple of days now,” he noted.
“We’re getting accustomed to the weather – it’s really cold by the way but we came here to be successful to get wins under our belts, get some points. So hopefully things go our way and we do the right things so we can be successful.
“Obviously we don’t want to be complacent. We just saw the Netherlands play New Zealand and they did well.
“They weren’t successful but I thought as a team they played really well. I think they have some good players as well and they have some good skills so we’re looking forward to the contest and again, hopefully we
can do the right things, stay in the present and get those victories.” SQUADS:
NETHERLANDS – Pieter Seelaar (captain), Scott Edwards, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Philippe Boissevain, Aryan Dutt, Clayton Floyd, Fred Klaassen, Vivian Kingma, Ryan Klein, Bas de Leede, Musa Nadeem Ahmad, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O’Dowd,
Vikram Singh, Tonny Staal
WEST INDIES – Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope (vice captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh Jr.