Holding, Garner blast West Indies

Published April 26, 2005

BRIDGETOWN, April 25: The West Indies have been slammed by two of their most famous players after their series loss to South Africa. South Africa won the third Test by an innings with a day to spare on Sunday, which gave the visitors a 2-0 lead in the series with one match left.

It was the West Indies’ 12th defeat in their last 19 Tests. The only two wins have been against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

“We have a basic lack of discipline, it is something that is sadly lacking in our game,” former fast bowler Michael Holding was quoted as saying in the Daily Nation on Monday.

“We keep on going through the same scenario and we are not getting much (in the way of) results.

“Our current team needs to be more competitive, but it all starts off the field. We are getting a lot of talk but not much action.”

Holding, who was a key member of the world-beating West Indies sides of the 1970s and 80s, feared for the current team’s mental state.

“Morale in the side must be quite low,” Holding was quoted as saying. “Coming here and being totally outplayed ... they have to be rock bottom or even lower.”

One of Holding’s former team mates, ex-paceman Joel Garner, said problems off the field were an important factor.

“The players who take the field are not the only ones at fault in West Indies cricket,” the paper quoted him as saying.

“The game has been going downhill for years and no one has decided to take the bull by the horns. All the emphasis seems to be on the administration, not on the field.”

Meanwhile, all-rounders Justin Kemp and Justin Ontong will join the South African squad in the West Indies for the one-day series, Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Sunday.

Kemp and Ontong will replace fast bowler Monde Zondeki and batsman Jacques Rudolph in the squad that sealed the Test series here on Sunday.

“Kemp was an automatic choice after his recent exploits in One-day International cricket,” selection convenor Haroon Lorgat said in the statement.

South Africa and the West Indies will play five One-day Internationals after the Test series concludes.

Squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Nicky Boje (vice-captain), Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince.—Reuters

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