West Indies lead selector, Roger Harper, believes there is a need for Caribbean batsmen to refine their skills and techniques in order to romp with the best in the world.
“I think we need to refine our skills, our techniques, our mental ability a bit more,” Harper stated on the Mason and Guest radio programme when asked about the quality of batsmen in this era compared to those of the past. Cricket commentator, Fazeer Mohammed was blunt in posing the question, asking Harper about the quality of batsmen today.
“Does Harper accept that the quality of players that have made the Caribbean dominant over a number of years is simply not there and no amount of coaching or managerial skills can help?”
Harper, in his response said: “That certainly speaks to the quality that you are talking about so there is some work to be done, it was plain to see looking at the series that there is definitely areas we need to improve on.”
He went on: “There is some technical areas that we need to work on as was exposed here but I think as well we need to inculcate the attitude of wanting to bat for long periods and to spend long periods at the crease you know building up that sort of confidence and that subconscious desire to spend time in the middle.”
Mohammed begged the question of how much longer will West Indies talk about it being a learning process while negating the culture of trying to sugarcoat a poor series with talks of taking the positives.
Harper said: “Sometimes the process of learning takes longer than others in some cultures and circumstances.”
Harper, when reflecting on the series loss to England recently noted that players could take a page out of England’s Dom Sibley.
“There is some technical areas we need to improve on but we need to learn to bat for long periods, I look at a player like Sibley the English opener, and I’m sure watching him bat should have motivated a lot of guys. You know he made 100 in one of the Test matches and that should have motivated a lot of guys because he doesn’t look the most technically astute player but he plays within his limitations and he plays to bat for long periods and he doesn’t really gift his wicket away and I think these are things players can try inculcate at the lower levels, First-Class level and elsewhere,” Harper said.
