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FORMER West Indies spinner Nehemiah Perry says he is deeply concerned about the regional side’s batting with Pakistan next in line for a Test series in the Caribbean.
West Indies, who are set to face the Asian side over two Tests in Jamaica next month, were swept two-nil by the touring South Africans in June.
And, though the bowlers delivered encouraging performances in both encounters in St Lucia, the home side’s brittle batting line-up was severely exposed by the outstanding South Africa attack on favourable bowling surfaces.
“South Africa played better cricket, they were aggressive and they bowled accurately at us. They did their homework and we weren’t able to respond — the ball was doing a bit. It showed up our deficiencies when bowlers are bowling at good pace and getting bounce; we were unable to negotiate that kind of aggression,” Perry told the Jamaica Observer in a telephone interview.
He noted that the batsmen’s technical capacity and shot selection will also be under the microscope against the Pakistanis.
“The batting just didn’t look the part, so it’s going to be very interesting to see what kind of combination we are going to use [against Pakistan]. Though I don’t think the combination will make a difference,” he said.
“I think it will be down to technique, and how you negotiate good bowling with solid batting, leave the ball well, get behind the line of the ball, and shot selection. Test cricket is for people who can assess situations and can adapt to conditions and fight and dig deep. The way we are playing is like we want to beat some ball and so on, [and] nobody wants to bat for a day,” the former Jamaica off-spinner lamented.
In the opening Test against South Africa, the West Indians won the toss and questionably elected to bat first on a pitch which appeared to suit seam bowling. The South Africa pace attack wasted no time in combining to dismiss the home side for 97.
In reply, South Africa scored 322, thanks to Quinton de Kock’s masterful 141 not out. West Indies were knocked over for 162 to slump to an innings and 63-run defeat. Roston Chase offered lone resistance with a second-innings half-century.
In the second match, West Indies were again soundly beaten. Choosing to field first after again winning the toss, they bowled South Africa out for scores of 298 and 174. But the hosts’ batsmen could only muster 149 and 165 in the 158-run loss. South Africa’s left-armed spinner, Keshav Maharaj, took a hat-trick in the West Indies’ second-innings implosion.
For West Indies, Shai Hope and Jermaine Blackwood made 43 and 49, respectively, in the first innings, while Kieran Powell top-scored in the second with 51. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite — the side’s senior opener — though coming off a Test century against Sri Lanka earlier this year, contributed scores of 15, seven, zero and six versus the South Africans.
Notably, middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner, who has had a terrific start to his Test career, did not feature in the final three innings of the series after suffering a concussion due to a blow to the helmet while batting in the first innings of the opening match.
“I’m very worried about the top order. Our captain isn’t scoring — when you are captain you have to lead from the front. Plus, do we go to someone like Darren Bravo in the middle to stabilise things?” Perry asked.
“I don’t know what we are going to do with the batting. You don’t know what Pakistan will turn up with or how they will play. They are similar to the West Indies, in that, when they play good they are a very nice team to watch. It’s going to be very difficult to beat Pakistan because they have been showing a bit of improvement to their whole game, so we’ll just have to wait and see what kind of combination the selectors come up with.
“The bowling seems to be able to hold up for itself…[it was] not excellent, but I think the bowling held its own. But I think the batting is what worries me a lot and I should think it worries a lot of people in the Caribbean and in the Diaspora who have West Indies cricket at heart. Pakistan will come, they will see what happened in the last Test series against South Africa and will probably try to exploit those weaknesses on what, I assume, will be a different pitch in Jamaica,” the Jamaican told the Observer.
West Indies are currently locked in a white-ball series against touring Australia ahead of the Pakistan engagement.