BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Assistant coach Roddy Estwick has urged players to make a quick adjustment to conditions in Bangladesh if they are to be successful on what he anticipates will be a “very, very difficult tour”, which gets underway in just under two weeks.
Speaking just prior to his departure with the last group of West Indies players on Friday for the January 20 to February 15 campaign comprising three One-Day Internationals and two Tests, Estwick said the Caribbean side already knew what to expect in terms of spin-friendly pitches but needed to adapt to the diet of slow bowling thrown their way.
And with both the Test and one-day squads hit by withdrawals after 10 players declined selection due to fears over the COVID-19 situation in the south Asian nation, Estwick also stressed it was important not to become distracted by the fact senior players were missing.
“Obviously going to Bangladesh it’s a very, very difficult tour because they’re going to prepare spinning pitches and we’ve got to adapt quickly. We’ve got to be ready,” Estwick told reporters here.
“I’m not too focussed on who is not going; you’ve got to focus on who’s going and we’ve got to try and get them prepared as best as possible.”
He added: “I always believe opportunities are never missed, they are grabbed by someone else so it’s these players [who] have got a great opportunity, they have a chance to showcase their talent.
“I’m sure they’ve been looking forward to playing and representing the West Indies. Now they’ve got the chance and now they’ve got to just prepare properly, focus and don’t look behind them. Just deal with what is in front.”
West Indies will face a tall order in the two-Test series, especially with captain Jason Holder, along with Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer all choosing not to tour, and first choice wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich opting out for personal reasons.
On their last tour there in 2018, West Indies were crushed in both Tests, with neither encounter lasting beyond three days as they found themselves besieged by spin.
And Estwick said the responsibility rested with batsmen to get large totals, especially in the first innings, in order to set up matches properly.
“[The key will be to] get first innings runs. If you can get first innings runs and get a big enough score, then you can create some pressure,” Estwick stressed.
“Obviously as the match goes along, the pitch will get a lot drier and their spinners will come into their own so in the first innings, the key is to make sure that we bat and we bat well and then we can put them under a bit of pressure.”
West Indies will travel to London and then on to Dubai, before arriving in Bangladesh today.