NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Losing Dwayne Bravo through injury is a huge setback that has forced West Indies to review their World Cup strategy, coach Ottis Gibson said today.
He said the team management were yet to make up their minds on a replacement for Bravo who has been ruled out of the tournament with the knee injury he picked up bowling during Thursday’s defeat by South Africa.
West Indies had earlier lost opener Adrian Barath and stumper Carlton Bough through injuries even before starting their World Cup campaign.
“It’s a big setback,” Gibson told reporters at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium where his team take on the Netherlands in a Group B match on Monday.
“Adrian Barath showed good form in Sri Lanka scoring a good hundred. Carlton was beginning to show some good performances behind the stumps and also with the bat. Missing them was a bit of a setback. But then the big one was Bravo.
“Bravo has been a key part of our team for a long time now. He has been the sort of energiser in the team, bringing in a lot of energy with his fielding, batting, bowling and also his presence in the dressing room. That is a big miss.”
KEY COG
The extent of the loss could be gauged from the fact that the team management is planning to tinker with the original strategy in which Bravo was the key cog.
Gibson, however, preferred to call it an opportunity.
“It gives us an opportunity to re-think our strategy. Our strategy was built around three all-rounders in captain Darren Sammy, Bravo obviously and (Kieron) Pollard.
“With him missing, it gives us an opportunity to perhaps re-think whether we need another batsman at six and perhaps an extra bowler.”
“You can’t do anything about injury. You have to think of the next step. Hopefully the next team will reflect our new thinking.”
The coach sounded wary of the Dutch side which nearly upstaged England in Nagpur on Tuesday.
“I don’t like to call them minnows. They like to prove a point and they did prove a point against England.
“We expect those guys to come with a lot of energy and the expectations of upsetting big teams.”
The jury is out on whether the West Indies can still claim to be a “big team” and Gibson admitted he did not have the results to suggest otherwise.
“Our fortunes of late do not suggest we are a big team but having said that, we believe we are a big team and we are here to prove that,” Gibson said.
“I have a lot of belief in the players that they can do well and prove to the world we are still more than a capable cricket nation. Cricket is still very much alive and well in the Caribbean.”
