HEAD coach Ottis Gibson charged his players to “man up” after their loss to New Zealand by an innings and 73 runs inside three days in the second Test in New Zealand.
Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe has followed by telling them to “wake up”.
In an article on the ESPNcricinfo website, Crowe highlighted the part fielding played in the dominance of the outstanding West Indies’ dominance of his time in the 1980s.
“This was not only the finest bowling and batting combo the world has seen,” he wrote. “It was also the finest collection of outcricketers the world has seen collectively on the field.”
In contrast, he rated the present team’s fielding in the Wellington Test “the worst I have seen in all my time.
“The same cricket nation, selected from glorious, idyllic islands in the Caribbean, came with no collective force, no hunger, and definitely no energy,” he wrote.
“Not just the catches that went down, or the misfields; no, it was the total abject failure to represent what we are on this planet to do – simply breathe in and breathe out. They looked as if they didn’t even try.”
He focused on the lack of input from wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin, the vice-captain.
“Denesh Ramdin has a job to do as the `keeper of the faith,” he observed. “He has to demand an energetic call to action to his troops and to lead by example in delivering his all-important directive.”
“Instead he said nothing, he coughed up an appalling amount of byes, and within an hour of the Test, West Indies were a weak, meek mouse of a team. All of this with conditions in their favour.”
“Superlative fielding wins Test matches,” he wrote, using the examples of Australia’s unexpected success in the current Ashes series and New Zealand’s against the West Indies.
“The inseparable team aspect of cricket was epitomised splendidly in these two teams’ togetherness,” he added. “They won because they cared enough for each other and for their nations’ pining.”
Australia were coming off three successive losses to England, New Zealand from 10 Tests without a victory.
“Fielding is often underestimated,” he stressed. “It too frequently takes second place to bowling and batting… yet without its energetic presence the bowler may not feel a propulsion from the combined force around him, supporting him, and the batsman may not feel the squeeze of being alone as all opposing eyes are upon him.”
“The fielding collective is massively important,” he added. “It’s fair to say there hasn’t been a successful side without it.”
Crowe hailed New Zealand for playing “the perfect game, with universal energy as their drive.
“They thoroughly deserved their win, especially after much recent soul-searching and rehab”, he noted. “However, to win inside three days by such a margin was also testimony to a lazy, careless opponent.”
He urged the West Indies to enter the final Test in Hamilton today with an improved attitude.
“For heaven’s sake, wake up” he stated. “You are fine, athletic specimens, yet you are throwing away the very thing you were given – energy to burn. “Use it to field for your Caribbean. From there your batting and bowling desires will have a better chance of coming to fruition, of rising to the ranks where your predecessors once were.” (TC).