Simmons targets strong Windies start
Head coach Phil Simmons wants his batsmen to hit the ground running from the first Test to avoid the Windies having to play catch-up in the three-Test series which bowls off next month.
With concerns already surrounding the Caribbean side’s batting, Simmons said he hoped the senior players would be at their best from the start, as the Windies chased their first series in England in 32 years.
“I think most of the senior batsmen are seasoned players,” Simmons told reporters via Zoom from Old Trafford.
“Mentally, I think they’re tough but I think we just need to continue working on our skills because I think when you look back at Kraigg [Brathwaite], Roston [Chase] and Shai [Hope], they’re mentally tough because they’ve done it at this level so it’s about making sure they’re sharp and ready to go in the first game.
“We’ve had occasions when we’ve toured and only after the first game we start really playing cricket so it’s something we’re trying to get out of our system and make sure we are ready and raring to go when we get to Southampton.”
The Windies were guilty of a slow start on their last tour three years ago when they were rolled over cheaply for under 200 in each innings, to slump to an embarrassing innings and 209-run defeat inside three days at Edgbaston.
And while they bounced back with a stunning win at Leeds in the second Test to level the series, they crumbled to a nine-wicket loss at Lord’s in the final Test.
That series defeat extended the Windies’ poor record in England but Simmons said the side was highly motivated to alter that history.
“When you come to England it’s always good to win in England,” said Simmons, who played 26 Tests for the Windies.
“We won at home [last year] and we want to continue that trend but we’re also wanting our own little piece of history, so I think the guys are up for the fight.”
The Windies arrived in the United Kingdom almost two weeks ago and have been undergoing preparation while being quarantined due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
There are 17 days remaining until the first Test at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.