Depleted West Indies brace for tough Proteas challenge
GEORGETOWN (Guyana), March 30: A depleted West Indies will be looking to prove their detractors wrong in the opening Test of four against South Africa that begins here on Thursday.
Long-standing left-handed batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul walks out on home soil at Bourda Oval leading a West Indies side that has been ravaged by the fallout from the sponsorship row between the West Indies Cricket Board, the West Indies Players’ Association and current and previous team sponsors in recent weeks.
Several times in his distinguished career Chanderpaul has shown immense fighting qualities with the bat that will not be out of place now, and should not be lost on a side in which there is no Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, and to a lesser extent Fidel Edwards.
In an era in which West Indies find themselves languishing at the bottom of the ICC Test Championship table, the loss of Lara, Sarwan, Gayle, Bravo and Edwards can be compared to the sort of severe damage that any of the hurricanes that snake through the Caribbean annually would normally leave in their wake.
In the last year, all but Lara signed personal sponsorship contracts that the WICB believes is in direct conflict with its team sponsorship agreement.
The WICB, acting on legal advice, indicated that Lara’s contract was not in breach of the agreement, and offered the master batsman a place in the side.
Lara offered a non-committal response in which he said he did not want to offend either the board or his team-mates by agreeing to play or not to play, and in the end, the WICB chose to leave him out of the squad.
West Indies’ Australia-born coach Bennett King believes Chanderpaul’s side can overcome the mental stress that they have had to deal with over the last few weeks and offer a stiff challenge to the South Africans.
“Any Test series against any country is difficult and I think this will be a lot closer than people are thinking, and I am expecting this side to give a good account of itself,” he said.
“All things being equal, I guess this is not the best line-up that is available to us. It will be important for us to set a comfortable environment in which the players coming into the side can learn, improve, and certainly progress.”
The Test affords several borderline players, as well as three newcomers, an opportunity to get their names in the headlines and King hopes they will seize it with some passion and diligence.
Among the borderline players given another chance to establish themselves are opener Devon Smith, fellow batsman Daren Ganga, all-rounder Ryan Hinds, along with fast bowlers Daren Powell and Corey Collymore.
A solid performance from the uncapped triumvirate of batsmen Narsingh Deonarine and Donovon Pagon, as well as fast bowler Dwight Washington, could also see them gaining more regular appearances.
Wicket-keeper/batsman Courtney Browne, who has been named vice-captain, and fast bowler Reon King have been recalled after a long period of absence from Test cricket.
This leaves Chanderpaul, opening batsman Wavell Hinds, and left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins with all the work to bring stability to the side.
South Africa however, firmly believe they can continue to dominate West Indies, despite the cracks in their own arsenal. In the last year, the South Africans have plummeted from the No 2 position on the Test table.
The visitors have won 10 of the 13 Tests they have contested against West Indies though, including a
2-1 series triumph, under Shaun Pollock, on their previous trip four years ago.
South Africa’s hopes for some shock treatment for Chanderpaul’s fledgling side hit a snag with the news of the delayed departure of Pollock. The veteran fast bowler will only arrive in the Caribbean when he has fully recovered from the chronic tendonitis in his left ankle and will miss the first Test.
The visitors still have plenty of firepower to throw at West Indies with Makhaya Ntini, Andre Nel, Charl Langeveldt, Andrew Hall, and Monde Zondeki, alongside left-arm spin bowler Nicky Boje all capable of match-winning bowling.
The batting has a solid and familiar look to it with Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Jacques Rudolph, AB de Villers, Boeta Dippenaar, and Ashwell Prince entrenched.
Teams (from):
WEST INDIES: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (captain), Courtney Browne (vice-captain), Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Narsingh Deonarine, Daren Ganga, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Reon King, Donovon Pagon, Daren Powell, Devon Smith, Dwight Washington.
SOUTH AFRICA: Graeme Smith (captain), Nicky Boje (vice-captain), Mark Boucher, A.B. de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Monde Zondeki.
Umpires: David Shepherd (England) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan).
