Sarwan & Gayle Tour Diaries tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries/115 2009-05-20T06:22:11Z Movable Type 3.34 We can defeat England in ODIs tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.10954 2009-05-20T05:49:21Z 2009-05-20T06:22:11Z Chris Gayle Hi everyone, We’re all very disappointed we lost the Test but looking back we can see where we went wrong. We let ourselves down in the fielding – we weren’t the best here at all – and we... Cricinfo Chris Gayle Hi everyone, We’re all very disappointed we lost the Test but looking back we can see where we went wrong. We let ourselves down in the fielding – we weren’t the best here at all – and we struggled with batting. All in all, the Test didn’t go as well as we wanted it to go and there are important lessons we must take from it in order to move on and put this experience behind us. The team is obviously very disappointed and we will discuss it all when we all get back together as a group. A few more players are coming in today to join the team for the ODIs, so - once they arrive and get settled - we will regroup and make plans for the next stage of the series. We need to make the necessary adjustments to allow the new guys to fit in and get acclimatized as quickly as possible. I’m looking forward to the ODIs starting on Thursday. It’s important that we get some momentum going starting with the very first match, and fix the things that went wrong during the Test Series. We must put our best foot forward as I believe we have a good chance of beating England in the ODIs, we just need to get the basics right. Stay tuned for more of the Digicel Player Diaries throughout the series in England.]]> A frustrating second day at Durham tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.10921 2009-05-17T14:14:05Z 2009-05-17T14:23:50Z Ramnaresh Sarwan: Hi everyone, We were really unfortunate on Thursday not to get some more wickets on the first day of the Test match in Durham. It was a really flat surface and the bowlers tried really hard, but... Judhajit

Ramnaresh Sarwan:
Hi everyone, We were really unfortunate on Thursday not to get some more wickets on the first day of the Test match in Durham. It was a really flat surface and the bowlers tried really hard, but they just couldn’t get anything for their efforts. The conditions are tough - it may look sunny but it’s actually really cold. We’ve got to keep fighting though. Friday was rained out which was frustrating as we were all psyched up and ready to hit the ground running to try and get some early wickets. This isn’t great in terms of getting back into the series, but we still have three more days so hopefully the weather will improve so that we can get straight back into it. The guys are in good form though, despite not being able to play on Friday. After the match was abandoned, some of us went to the gym, while the rest of the guys hit the nets to get some batting practice in at the indoor facility. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel to relax and get focused for the game. Stay tuned for more of the Digicel player diaries throughout the series in England.]]> Performance will not be affected by issues tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.10265 2009-04-02T22:46:08Z 2009-04-02T22:47:18Z Chris Gayle: Hey everyone, The team is feeling pretty good about the fifth and final Digicel ODI. We had practice today and everyone is feeling confident about a win. I know there has been a lot of speculation as to... Chris Gayle: Hey everyone, The team is feeling pretty good about the fifth and final Digicel ODI. We had practice today and everyone is feeling confident about a win. I know there has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not there will be a match in St. Lucia but let me assure all West Indies fans, there will be a game and the team is focused and prepared to win. Our performance will not be affected by any issues. We are professionals and we are here to do a job. We will be making no excuses. We will be playing for the West Indian people and we plan to make you proud. We plan to go out there and play some basic cricket. England has been playing good cricket and I’m sure they want to win the Digicel ODI series just as bad as we do. We just have to ensure that we play better cricket and I know that we will have the support of our fans which is always positive for us. We started the Digicel Series 2009 on a high and we want to end it on a high. It has been a long series and a win would finish it off nicely. We are hoping for beautiful conditions so that fans can actually get 100 overs. St. Lucian fans can expect to see good cricket played at the Beausejour Stadium. To the West Indies fans, I would like to thank you for your tremendous support during the Digicel Series. The entire team appreciates your support. It has been a long and hard series and we hope to give you a victory. Well that’s all for now! Stay tuned as I, along with other West Indies cricketers, will be keeping our diary of the Digicel Series 2009.]]> Looking to finish England off tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.10193 2009-03-29T06:21:06Z 2009-03-29T06:36:55Z Denesh Ramdin: On Friday, the bowlers went out there and did the job our captain, Chris Gayle, asked of them. They built pressure which really troubled the English batsmen. And they were really backed up well by some great...

Denesh Ramdin: On Friday, the bowlers went out there and did the job our captain, Chris Gayle, asked of them. They built pressure which really troubled the English batsmen. And they were really backed up well by some great fielding. All in all we went out there to win and we did. Now we are one up in the ODI series, we have the edge on England now and we are going to go out on Sunday and finish them off. Our confidence is high and we are enjoying our cricket. Chris was outstanding on Friday; he did what he had to do for the team. I know England are a team that won't lie down, they will come out fighting. They will have a gameplan and I don't think it will be as easy as it was on Friday to get them out. So we will have our back up plan. We plan to go out there and beat them again. Thank you to all the fans that have been supporting us during the Test series, the Twenty20s and now the ODIs. It is great to look out and see the West Indians supporting their team. We really enjoy the support and hope that you continue to support us even after the series. That's all for now but stay tuned as I, and some of the other West Indies cricketers, keep you up to date on the series through our diaries.]]> Important to keep momentum going tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.10132 2009-03-25T08:29:57Z 2009-03-25T08:42:53Z The story will continue at 9:30 am on Friday, so we will just have to prepare ourselves as we have been doing for the past weeks Ramnaresh Sarwan: Hi Everyone, Playing at home in Guyana for the first and second Digicel one-day internationals was great. Having the support of my country is always a good feeling and they always support West Indies and this time they came out in their numbers and offered their full support for the team. On Sunday we were successful in putting what had happened in the first Digicel ODI on Friday behind us. Our body language on the field and the way we played proved that we were ready to take on the challenge at hand and win the game. We showed character and showed how much it meant for us to win. We have an outstanding chance now in Barbados for the third and fourth ODIs once we continue to play the way we have been playing. On Sunday we were able to get back our momentum and so it is important for us to keep that going here in Barbados. The story will continue at 9:30 am on Friday, so we will just have to prepare ourselves as we have been doing for the past weeks. To our fans, thank you for your continuous support, the team really appreciates it. You are who we play for and we will continue to make West Indies proud. Stay tuned as I and some of the other West Indies cricketers keep you up to date through our diaries of the Digicel Series 2009.]]> We have to keep positive and focused tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.10085 2009-03-22T05:17:39Z 2009-03-22T05:25:25Z Judhajit



Chris Gayle: 'We can’t let the loss in the first ODI demotivate us.' © Getty Images
Chris Gayle: Hey everyone, Everyone was extremely disappointed after what happened at the first ODI in Guyana. I must say we were all a bit depressed going home after the game. We really did think we won that game, then to learn after a few minutes that we lost by one run was crushing. Like I said before, at this point in time, we can’t dwell on the past. We have important games coming up and we have to keep positive and focused. I will be having a team meeting with the guys before the second ODI and we will openly discuss what happened on Friday and what we need to do to draw level. We have to take it step by step. At the end of the day, we are all professionals and we must behave as such. We have to win the rest of the matches and put Friday behind us. We can’t let it demotivate us and dampen the high that we have been on during the entire series. So we will come up with a gameplan and strategy to win the ODI series and truly put this behind us. We have bounced back from tougher situations and we can do it again. England is definitely hungry for a victory and have finally got on the winning sheet. This will no doubt boost their confidence and they will be coming at us harder, so we don’t have time to feel bad. We have to bounce back now. We just want to even things out on Sunday. It will be a very competitive game. For the remaining ODIs we will be coming out strong while sticking to our gameplan. We are all going to continue to put in our 110%. I hope our fans continue to support us and we promise to give them something to cheer for. Well that’s all for now! Stay tuned as I, along with other West Indies cricketers, will be keeping our diary of the series.]]> We must maintain momentum tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.10023 2009-03-18T17:40:58Z 2009-03-18T17:55:53Z Cricinfo Nikita Miller
Nikita Miller is looking to carry his first-class form into the one-dayers against England © AFP
I am just joining the Digicel Series 2009. I am confident but not over-confident. I’m on a high after a successful first-class season. I am hoping to come now and put in my best for the team in the Digicel ODI Series. The team has been doing well since New Zealand. There have been definite improvements; we are now all seeing it. There has been a lot of work put into the team over this time and we are now being rewarded for our efforts. We had a good win for the Digicel Test Series and the Digicel Twenty20 and hopefully we can move from strength to strength. It would be great to have a clean streak, so winning the Digicel ODI Series would be great. We didn’t have a good result in New Zealand but we have had a positive start to the year so hopefully we can seal it off with another win. I have put in a lot of work playing first-class cricket so I am ready to play for West Indies. It is a different game playing first-class as opposed to ODIs but I am ready and committed to making the transition. It is a mental game, so I have to adjust my game to suit the one-day set-up and I think I’m more than capable of doing that. I am looking forward to the two days of training for the Digicel ODIs in Guyana. ]]> It is very exciting to join the team when they are on this high from winning. It instils confidence coming into a winning team and I’m hoping that I can come and make a contribution to the Windies. From experience, the pitch in Guyana is always slow with not a lot of bounce and I am not expecting it to be different this time around. Obviously anything can happen on game day but Guyana has a history of producing slow low tracks and I will be preparing for that. I am preparing myself for any eventuality, I have to prepare myself for the worst and hope for the best. To the Windies fans please continue to support your team. As always, I will try and put in my best for the team, and your support is invaluable and I won’t let you down. Stay tuned as I, and some of the other West Indies cricketers, keep you up to date on the Digicel Series 2009 through our diaries. The confidence is high tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.10011 2009-03-18T06:38:30Z 2009-03-18T06:48:58Z Denesh Ramdin



Ramnaresh Sarwan took his chances during the Twenty20 match against England in Trinidad © Getty Images
Denesh Ramdin: First, I’d like to thank all the guys for going out there for the Twenty20 match and giving me the support as captain. We went out there and did what we had to do to win. Our goal was to restrict England to under 140 runs and we succeeded. The players really pulled their weight on the field. Fidel and Baker did a very good job at the start with the ball. As you know with Twenty20, you have to change your bowlers regularly and I think I did a good job with that. Sarwan again played very well; he went out there and took his chances. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to make it to the end, I think together with Simmons he forged a good partnership which helped the team to victory. After winning the Test Series and now the Twenty20, our confidence is high and we are ready to go into the ODI Series. Chris being back for the Digicel ODIs is a good start for us. Miller and Powell are also back, so we have a good team going into the first one-dayer in Guyana. We just have to go in and pick up all the wickets with the new ball and our batsmen just need to get as many runs as possible and hopefully we can win both ODIs in Guyana and put England under some more pressure in Barbados. England won’t go down without a fight. They play with a lot of passion and pride and some of their key players will be back, like Flintoff. We can’t take anything for granted. I am hoping the Guyanese people will come out and support the team, especially their homegrown players, Chanderpaul and Sarwan. We hope to have two good games in Guyana and enjoy ourselves and make our fans proud. That’s all for now but stay tuned as I, and some of the other West Indies cricketers, keep you up to date on the Digicel Series 2009 through our diaries. ]]> A series win would mean a lot tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.9878 2009-03-10T13:31:59Z 2009-03-18T06:46:35Z Denesh Ramdin: First of all, well done to the guys for the fifth Test and congrats to Shiv, Nash and Chris for putting up a fight. It was a flat pitch, the bowlers tried their heart out and we... Denesh Ramdin

Denesh Ramdin: First of all, well done to the guys for the fifth Test and congrats to Shiv, Nash and Chris for putting up a fight. It was a flat pitch, the bowlers tried their heart out and we didn’t get the results we hoped for in the first innings to try and reach the target. However, we did what we had to do and put in the work. Our batters went out there in the first innings and fought to get the runs. A special congrats to Nash for his first maiden Test century, and for many more to come. Sarwan and I were hoping to get more runs in this Test, but unfortunately, that is just how the game is. I think, so far throughout the series, we have been able to control the game. We have the players with the talent and capability. I think England underestimated us. Before the start of the series they said they were going to walk all over us, I don’t think they were studying us well enough - maybe too busy thinking about the Ashes. But we had been thinking about beating them. Many of us on the team have never beaten England, so a win in this series would be a nice experience and mean a lot to us all. We have really worked hard on and off the field and don’t want that work to go down the drain. A win would not only mean a great deal to us, but also to the entire Caribbean. The younger players, like myself, are seeking the advice of the more experienced players like Shiv, Sarwan and Chris, and as you can see from my performance in Barbados and Nash’s in Trinidad, it really does make a difference. My father was present in Barbados to see me score my first century and he was really proud. I was well guided by Sarwan, who guided me through tough situations. David Williams also helped me throughout the series in New Zealand, which wasn’t one of my best series, but he urged me to keep working hard. Ian Bishop had called me that morning and reminded me of the type of player I was and that really motivated me. Playing at home in Trinidad is great. I have the support of my home crowd and I know the pitch. It would have been great to get a century in Trinidad, but as I’ve said before, this is the way the game goes, maybe next time. Stay tuned as I, and some of the other West Indies cricketers, keep you up to date on the series through our diaries.]]> Anything's possible in cricket tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.9839 2009-03-08T14:10:48Z 2009-03-18T06:46:40Z Ramnaresh Sarwan: Hi everyone, The fifth Test has been going well so far. England batted really well on a flat and slow wicket, which provided very little help for our fast bowlers. I must give credit to the England...

Ramnaresh Sarwan: Hi everyone, The fifth Test has been going well so far. England batted really well on a flat and slow wicket, which provided very little help for our fast bowlers. I must give credit to the England captain, Andrew Strauss, Paul Collinwood and their wicketkeeper, Matt Prior. And I must commend our fast bowlers for their efforts and our spinners, Ryan Hinds and Chris Gayle. We are leading the Test series 1-0, so if we draw this test we will still win and we’d be very happy with that. But of course we want to win this match. We need to concentrate on what we have to do and take it step by step, and focus on the process rather than the outcome. Winning might be difficult but you never know, this is a strange game, anything is possible. Although I did not set out to make a century in each Test match I have been pleased with my record so far and of course I’d love to follow through on that in this one. I will definitely be trying to continue what I have done for the last four innings. But it is also important to remember that all of that is now behind me and my focus is on this innings and this match. It is important for me to go out there and play the best I can for the team. I said at the start of this series that my goal was to improve. I didn’t think that I did my best in New Zealand and this series was my chance to bounce back and I wanted to contribute as best I could to put the team in a good position to win. So far I have been doing that and I am happy that I have been able to assist my team to where we are now. Everyone has been upbeat. The vibes we have in the dressing room and just in general is what keeps our spirits up and it really does help in the way we play. Stay tuned as I, and some of the other West Indies players, keep you up to date through our diaries of the series.]]> England are under serious pressure tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.9653 2009-02-26T10:06:25Z 2009-03-18T06:46:43Z We are in a pretty good position right now and we need to stay on top of our game and give our all Cricinfo Brendan Nash: Hey everyone, Our draw for the third Test in Antigua was basically a win for us based on the position we are at: 1-0, so we are quite happy and very enthusiastic going into the fourth Test here in Barbados. The players were given the opportunity to go home during the break, after Antigua, to be with their families and re-energize, however Chanderpaul and I decided to come to Barbados a bit early and we had a few light training sessions with the Barbadian players on the team. As a whole team we had two days of intense training and we are all feeling confident going into the fourth Test. But though we are confident we aren’t over confident. England is now under some serious pressure. I’ve been reading articles about England and they have said that this coming Digicel Test is a do-or-die Test for them. They need to win and of course we don’t plan to allow them to win. We are in a pretty good position right now and we need to stay on top of our game and give our all. To the Windies fans keep supporting us, we are making small steps upwards and we hope that continues over the next two Tests. Keep the faith and please come out in your numbers and support us. Seeing the fans in the crowd is always good and it gives us a lot of encouragement. Stay tuned as I, and some of the other West Indies cricketers, keep you up to date on the Digicel Series 2009 through our diaries.]]> When a draw equals a victory tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2009:/sg_tourdiaries//115.9532 2009-02-20T10:38:53Z 2009-03-18T06:46:47Z Chris Gayle



Last but not the least: Daren Powell © Getty Images
Chris Gayle: Hey everyone, The draw in third Test in Antigua is a victory for us. I have to commend the guys for the effort they put in this test match. It's really tremendous to come out with a draw. The result ensures that we head to Barbados for the fourth Test still 1-0 up in the five-match Digicel Series 2009. I have to give a special praise to Fidel Edwards whose match saving innings is the third for us. It's like a customary thing for him. He has done it before and he's done it here again today. You have to give credit to him and Daren Powell the way they batted. The No. 11 batsman Edwards and his No. 10 partner Daren Powell negotiated a tense final 36 minutes and 60 deliveries to secure the important draw. It's something we've been working on. Everybody has to step up in a crucial moment of the game. It's not an individual game. Now we head off to Barbados for the fourth Test where we will again do our best, work as a team and give the fans an exciting game. Well that’s all for now! Stay tuned as I, along with other West Indies cricketers, will be keeping our diary of the Test series.]]> It's cold. But not a bad cold tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2008:/sg_tourdiaries//115.8264 2008-12-06T09:34:32Z 2009-03-18T06:46:50Z Hi everyone, We arrived in New Zealand last week Wednesday and so far it has been good. Everyone has recovered from jet lag and we have had lots of practice sessions leading up to Friday’s games. The guys are all... Denesh Ramdin Hi everyone, We arrived in New Zealand last week Wednesday and so far it has been good. Everyone has recovered from jet lag and we have had lots of practice sessions leading up to Friday’s games. The guys are all working hard in the gym as well with plenty of stretching. It’s much colder here in New Zealand, but not a bad cold. We are using our tracksuit tops in practice and we are making sure to move around a lot. Some days it’s hot, and others it’s cold but overall everyone is adapting quite well. The team has been gelling quite well too – everyone is getting on well with each other and looking out for each other in training. The first practice match is on Friday against Auckland. The coach had a good talk with us and everyone is focused on taking this match very seriously. We are going to focus on areas that we need to get right – batting, fielding and bowling, as well as each player focusing hard on their individual game. So far, I’ve been working hard on improving my own game. I’m concentrating hard on batting and wicketkeeping to raise my game and be a permanent fixture in the team. Christmas isn’t far away so I’m looking forward to that too. This is my second Christmas in a row away from home – last year I was in South Africa – but we’ll all be celebrating together, either with a big Christmas lunch or dinner. The batting needs to click tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2008:/sg_tourdiaries//115.5993 2008-03-23T05:01:14Z 2009-03-18T06:46:54Z To score runs on a slow wicket is not easy, you have to focus on occupying the crease a lot more. Shot selection is crucial, especially when you are driving Chris Gayle



'Shot selection is crucial, especially when you are driving' © Getty Images
Chris Gayle
I have to start this first diary entry for this new home series with something that I have talked regularly about before. What I have always stressed on is that our batting needs to do the job, and we have to get the runs on the board. For the last couple of months the bowlers have been doing a terrific job for us. Jerome Taylor, Daren Powel, Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Bravo have been turning up and working hard on the field. Hopefully we, the batsmen, can put the runs on the board now and give the bowlers something to work with and as a team we can take it from there. It is not going to be easy, we are up against a top class team in Sri Lanka and they have one of the best attacks in the world. The reason I say one of the best attacks is because you have the likes of Chaminda Vaas and the world record holder for the most Test wickets Muttiah Muralitharan. Those two are the main strike bowlers and we all know how experienced those guys are. We are up against it but we are up to the challenge. ]]> I’m pleased that the batsmen got a few good hits in the Carib Beer Series. Ramnaresh Sarwan just got a hundred, it’s good for me to be back in the middle and Shiv Chanderpaul got a double century as well. Denesh Ramdin also got a hundred so it is a matter of transforming that into the Test arena, being ready and turning up on the day. This is the first time Test cricket will be played in Providence but we played Sri Lanka at here once before but in a one-day international during the World Cup last year. Looking back at the World Cup game, I thought that for the first 45 minutes the ball did seam around a bit but after that it was definitely a different wicket. It was slow and there was some uneven bounce and that is something you have to take into consideration. It’s a good batting wicket so whoever gets in should definitely capitalize and score runs against Sri Lanka. To score runs on a slow wicket is not easy, you have to focus on occupying the crease a lot more. Shot selection is crucial, especially when you are driving. You have to be very careful how you drive. Bowlers with a lot of variations can do well on these sorts of wickets so that is something to take into consideration as well both when we are batting and when our bowlers are bowling. It is the home ground for Sarwan and Chanderpaul and they are experienced and can assess the conditions quickly so we will have to use that to our advantage. On the other hand the Sri Lankans are very good at bowling on these sorts of surfaces; they know what it is like to bowl on flat wickets so that is another advantage for them. The practice sessions were good. The guys got a bit of a run, things are looking good. We had our team meeting to assess the situation; reviewing Sri Lanka’s batting and bowling. Of course I can’t give out the secrets here. We have a couple of fresh faces in the squad and I have to wish them well. We have Sulieman Benn and Amit Jaggernauth, who are new to the team and Ryan Hinds, who is back. We spent a lot of time assessing and contemplating the combination of the final eleven in the lead up to the game. We’re looking for a balanced eleven, with a combination of players who will be best suited for the game. I am pleased for both of the young spinners selected. They have been getting quite a few wickets in first-class cricket so they deserve their call-up. Benn has been one of the most dominant left-arm spinners in the region along with Nikita Miller from Jamaica. We decided that we would go with Benn and see how he handles himself at this level. Now he has made his Test debut and big congratulations to him. He has already shown that he can handle himself well. They have been fitting in to the team unit well. They don’t seem to be under any pressure. They look very relaxed and they have put in the work over the past few days. That is really good. They look hungry and that is impressive. Everything has been going well with the new management team. Omar Khan the new manager has fit in well as has David ‘Willie’ Williams, the assistant coach, John Dyson the head coach, new analyst Richard Berridge and CJ Clarke, the new physiotherapist and Gerald Garcia the trainer. All in all, the support is there so we have to get the work done in the middle. I have to comment briefly on Jamaica winning the Carib Beer Championship. That’s a plus for us, the guys worked hard and deserve the title and I want to say thanks and congratulations to them. And finally Digicel and Scotiabank put on the Digicel Scotiabank Cricket Experience and it is something that has never happened before in the Caribbean. It was good to be a part of it; I was happy to be among the kids, you could have seen the joy in their faces. I know this will continue and I have to say well done to Digicel and Scotiabank for putting it on. I went down there with Sarwan and Sewnarine Chattergoon and signed autographs and interacted and played with the kids and you could really see the delight in their faces. We had fun and I am happy to have been a part of it, the kids are the future and I was happy to give back a little to them. I am also sure it will get better as we go on. Significant positives for the future tag:blogs.cricinfo.com,2008:/sg_tourdiaries//115.5577 2008-02-01T13:06:12Z 2009-03-18T06:46:57Z While the emotions that accompany defeat are understandable – and it’s been some time since our fans have had good reason to cheer loudly – I think there are some significant positives for the future Ramnaresh Sarwan Ramnaresh Sarwan




Marlon Samuels was certainly the ‘find’ of the series for us © Cricinfo Ltd
The West Indies will return to the Caribbean in a few days having lost both the Test and ODI series in South Africa. They lost the Test battle 2-1 and are trailing an unassailable 3-0 in the one-dayers with the final two games this weekend. Prior to all this, the Windies had beaten Zimbabwe 3-1 in a one-day series, with the last match being rained out. Fans will be disappointed with the outcome in South Africa, particularly as things started so well on this occasion for the team, prevailing in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals and triumphing in the first Test, both in Port Elizabeth. While the emotions that accompany defeat are understandable – and it’s been some time since our fans have had good reason to cheer loudly – I think there are some significant positives for the future.]]> One aspect that stood out for me is that in most matches the Windies never gave up and, for the most part, played positively and made South Africa fight for their success. It was refreshing to see the determination and blossoming of talented players such as Marlon Samuels and Jerome Taylor. Marlon was certainly the ‘find’ of the series for us. Though he has been around for some time he finally showed the consistently high returns with the bat we always believed he was capable of. It augurs well for the team as we look ahead to tackling Sri Lanka and Australia in the coming months. Having a player of his calibre who can mix sound and patient defence with belligerent attack should bolster a batting line-up that, at full strength, includes the likes of Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and other capable batsmen. Taylor bowled impressively throughout and often broke partnerships for the Windies. He was ably supported by Fidel Edwards, Daren Powell, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy - all of whom reaped rewards at various stages. I think they have the makings of a good bowling unit once they can work on executing their plans and holding a consistent line and length. It was also good to see some of the newer players coming to the fore as well, such as Sewnarine Chattergoon and Patrick Browne. They seized the opportunities which they got and have so far impressed in the one-dayers. Another positive from the African tour was that we showed we are capable of matching and beating the best teams in international cricket. Our downfall in recent years has been our failure to maintain the standard which is necessary to secure sustained success. Now that we have exhibited the talent and ability to rise to the challenge, I hope we will be motivated to work towards consistent excellence, thereby moving us up the Test and one-day rankings. I look forward to all members of the West Indies squad being fit and ready for the imminent home series. It’s no secret that the Windies were hampered in South Africa by injuries and illness to key players, including Chris, Shiv, Dwayne and Fidel. I know our fans will be expecting a strong performance from us and I think that once we concentrate on doing the basics correctly and consistently, we can do well against highly-rated opposition. Meanwhile, I continue to make steady progress in my recovery from the ankle injury I suffered last October. I have been doing some short sprints on it and it’s feeling good. I can now put more pressure on it. My fitness and training routine are also going well and I am optimistic that I will return to international cricket soon, wearing the maroon cap.