ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC — Pace legend Sir Curtly Ambrose has debunked recent assertions by West Indies Twenty20 captain Carlos Brathwaite and head coach Stuart Law, that the regional side is making progress despite losing the opening two games of the four-match series against Pakistan.
West Indies surrendered the first game in Barbados last Sunday by six wickets and followed up with a three-run defeat in the second game last Thursday at Queen’s Park Oval, to fall 0-2 behind in the series.
Following their last defeat, both Brathwaite and Law said the home side had improved, despite not getting the result but Sir Curtly said the Windies appeared to be deteriorating.
“This is getting worst and worst and I’ve started believing that these guys don’t know or have the know how to win games,” Sir Curtly was quoted as saying.
“Too many times they find themselves in a winning position and then for some strange or unknown reason it’s just like they lose their focus, they lose their train of thought and end up losing and it’s like they don’t have the knowhow to win anymore.”
In both defeats, West Indies were undermined by 18-year-old leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who produced Man-of-the-Match efforts to inspire Pakistan.
Shadab took three for seven on debut in the opening game to limit the Windies to a modest 111 and returned to take four 14 to once again hurt the hosts as they failed to chase down 133 in the second contest.
All-rounder Jason Holder, the Test and one-day captain, said after the opening defeat that the Windies had not been familiar with Shadab but Sir Curtly said international cricket did not offer the luxury of time to get accustomed to opposing players.
“So what are you going to do, wait for another two or three series to get accustomed to some players? It doesn’t work like that,” the former West Indies bowling coach contended.
“I can understand you meet a guy for the first time and he caused some problems in that first game because you had never seen him before but by the time the second game comes around, you should have an idea of what he is capable of or what he can do.
“You can’t be telling me you are going to wait until the end of the series or two series later to say you are going to work him out. It doesn’t work like that, you have to work him out right now.”
