Image courtesy of: dawn.com
“T20 hangover? I think they looked drunk”
Legendary West Indies captain Clive Lloyd has announced that the national team “looked drunk” on Twenty20 cricket during their recent two-Test series against India.
The West Indies lost both Tests by an innings and 51 runs and by an innings and 126 runs respectively.
Prior to their Test series against India, the West Indies had won six Test matches in a row, but they failed to even make it past day three in both Tests against the Indians.
When asked if they were still suffering from a Twenty20 hangover, Lloyd told The Indian Express: “T20 hangover? I think they looked drunk. I personally believe that T20 is something that brings people to the game, brings money to players and if it’s doing that then you have to stick with it. However, a diet of too much T20 can be very harmful. I believe T20 is an exhibition while Test cricket is an examination. If you can separate them, then it is absolutely fine. However, I don’t want the first thing that young players want to learn is to hit the ball out of the ground. Proper technique and the vital rudiments of the game are very important.”
Lloyd noted that the West Indies need to bring in players that are more suited to the longer format, otherwise being beaten by an innings will become a recurring theme in many of their future Test matches.
“It has been a deeply disappointing tour,” he said. “The team needs to have a hard look at itself and they have a lot of work to do.”
During their Test series against India, only two West Indian batsmen scored half-centuries, while all the bowlers, with the exception of Shane Shillingford, took no more than two wickets.
Shillingford had an outstanding series with the ball as he claimed 11 wickets at a respectable average of 31.45.
“I think and I hope that the West Indian batsmen have learned their lessons after watching how the Indian batsmen went about their business,” Lloyd said. “The Indians can play aggressive ODI cricket but they can also transform into Test players, show restraint and bat for long periods.
“You simply cannot play some of the shots that a few of the (West Indian) batsmen played. The batting unit is pretty young, but these young batters need to learn how to apply themselves in a Test-match situation.
“In the first Test when we had them at 120 odd for five, we really missed quality bowlers. We were short on penetrative bowling. I believe that any side you choose, be it ODI or Test, it needs to have balance. Sadly, there is no visible balance in this side.”
Lloyd also had some stern words for captain Darren Sammy, who went wicketless throughout the entire series and only managed to score 25 runs in four innings.
“Sammy as a captain has brought the guys together,” Lloyd said. “They are definitely looking a better bunch under his leadership. But now, I think people are taking a look at the balance of the side. I believe that when a team is losing, the captain is the first person to be blamed. However, having said that, he (Sammy) needs to take a look at himself, put his hand up and the selectors need to take a decision on his future.”