It took a mighty 65 years for the West Indies' spinners to take all 10 wickets in a Test match innings. It is challenging to describe in words what the West Indies cricket team achieved in Bangladesh by winning the Test series 2-0. Those victories have to go down as two of the greatest and most significant achievements in the history of West Indies cricket.
From the onset, how many people would have given them a chance to even snatch a draw in one of the games, much less win not one, but both? Here was a team that was deprived of many so-called “regulars”; a second-string team was heading across to South Asia to get, in local parlance, “licks, licks and more licks!” I for one felt it might have been better if Cricket West Indies (CWI) cancelled the tour as sending a team to be hammered made no sense for the good of West Indies cricket. But credit to CWI. This team has lifted the entire spirit of the people of the West Indies and indeed, wherever you may be around the world. West Indian supporters deserve to enjoy the moment as their team has made them exceptionally proud.
Poor Bangladesh did not know what hit them. Their skipper Mominul Haque is now the recipient of staunch criticism together with senior players like Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim. How nice, for a change, to see the opposition fighting amongst themselves.
When one looked through the names of the final eleven for the tests, apart from Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Jermaine Blackwood, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel, the rest were rookies. Take for example players like Nkrumah Bonner, Kyle Mayers, Shayne Moseley who were all making their test debut and batting at 3, 4 and 5 respectively than at number 7, a wicket-keeper batsman in Joshua Da Silva who previously played just one test.
In addition, two front-line spinners - Rahkeem Cornwall (who played 3 tests and captured 13 wickets) and Jomel Warrican, a veteran when compared to the others had 8 tests and 22 wickets under his belt. No other team in the world (perhaps India?) could have gone into two test matches with that calibre of players and survived.
So exactly how did they survive? It is no secret that I have been critical of the Jason Holder-led teams of the past. As I have written repeatedly, I have not seen the fight, the determination, the courage, the heart and the attitude from the players when they put on the West Indies colours for quite some time. But this team seemed different. All the attributes that one wishes for in a test team were there for all to see. Could it be that they were fighting for their test places as they knew that the “regulars” would be back? Whatever the reason, they exceeded expectations and I am sure it would have pleased coach Phil Simmons. In series gone by, Simmons seemed frustrated, lost for words, aged and just plain tired of saying the same thing over and over. This time, it was different; he had players who were willing to listen, their attitude seemed on track and they looked like a united bunch eager to play for one another.
Although it was a total team effort, how does one not mention the names of Bonner, Mayers and Da Silva? As previously mentioned, Bonner and Mayers were test debutants while Da Silva had played in just one test, and that was because Shane Dowrich opted out of the final test against New Zealand; or he might have been making his debut in Bangladesh as well. Bonner and Mayers have been around for a long time, but their application was second to none. This test series showed that they have the right mentality but they must strive to continue to improve on their technique to be able to perform at a consistent level. I need not write anything more about a player like Da Silva. As I have previously mentioned, he will make the West Indies proud. Indeed, he has all the right attributes to become a fine West Indian wicketkeeper-batsman.
Then, 'Jimbo' Cornwall, very much maligned for his size, felt this was his opportunity to shine on turning pitches with varying bounce; he could be a match-winner and didn't he bowl well! Again, mentally, he seemed to be in the right place. The other spinner, Warrican, whom I thought would have played second fiddle to Veerasammy Permaul, also bowled well. That being said, he still has some work to do in terms of tightening up and stifling the opposition's runs - something I am sure the coaching staff will work on.
To ensure everything came together well was skipper Kraigg Brathwaite. He didn't surprise me, he shocked me with his leadership. The team seemed to have responded to him as their leader and he made some courageous decisions in both test matches. Bringing himself on and taking 3 wickets took bravery and confidence as he had Gabriel and Joseph waiting in the wings. But that's what leadership is all about - to take chances and go with your instincts. Yes, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but as a captain, you have to be innovative and keep the opposition guessing. I am certain that the Bangladesh batsmen were waiting on Gabriel or Joseph and suddenly, up came the skipper with his off-spin. He made a few errors with certain fielding positions where I thought he was giving away a single too easily, but in the end, his leadership shone right through.
Now, where does the West Indies go from here? Sri Lanka is due in the Caribbean next month, so how does one drop Bonner, Mayers or Da Silva? They simply cannot be excluded to make way for anyone as that would be such a grave injustice and show of disrespect for their performances. Shayne Moseley was an unfortunate disappointment but he should be given another chance although he has a lot of work to do. John Campbell, yet again, did not do his reputation any good and when will Blackwood finally settle down?
On the other hand, the bowling attack will depend on the type of pitches being prepared. Do you select 3 or 4 quickies? Gabriel, Roach and Joseph (could Andy Roberts or Curtley Ambrose please help him with his bowling?) must play and the 2 spinners already select themselves.
But the biggest question of all: will the selectors opt for Brathwaite or Holder to lead the team? Based on what I have written, there is no need for me to answer that as performance always beats ol' talk. These players must be given the opportunity to carry on the outstanding work they have done but they still have a lot to learn. It is evident that they are willing and until they fail and the so-called big names show that they want to play test cricket for the West Indies, I hope the selectors do the right thing.
Editor's note:
The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any organisation of which he is a stakeholder.