Windies have to be brave in selection
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Playing in a semi-final is a bit like knowing you’re on the guest list but still waiting for the invitation to the wedding.
If you win, you get to go to the wedding but if you lose there is no cake, you pack up and go home. So close but so far. Semi-finals are the toughest games to lose.
Looking at this match up, for the men from the Caribbean to have to any chance they have to be bold in their team selection.
There is a tendency in tournaments to take the conservative approach and stick with the team that has got you this far, however, in these crunch one-off matches you have to do your homework, show the courage of your convictions and go with those gut feelings that you feel will win the match.
This starts with selection and picking the right team that is best equipped to beat your opposition.
We all learnt a harsh lesson back in the 2003 world cup final in South Africa. We needed to change that line-up for the final against Australia.
Instead of playing Dinesh Mongia at 7, our extra batter and part time spinner, we should have picked Anil Kumble, gone with our six best batsmen and our five best bowlers. It would have helped if we had batted first no matter how much moisture we sensed around.
It mightn’t have made the difference, who knows, but it would have been a bolder side to match the Aussies in that one-off game and more positive to have batted.
If the West Indians look back at the earlier games of the tournament, they will see two things: firstly, the Australians, although it wasn’t the case against India, were awful at chasing runs against the spin of Pakistan.
They have been caught out before at this same venue, most notably against Sri Lanka in the ICC Champions’ Trophy some years ago.
The bowling depth of the West Indies is a weakness but they have to accept that and pick a bowling attack that won’t suit their opposition.
For me, the West Indies must play their two spinners. Narine is quality and Badree, relatively unproven, provides more variation.
They need to involve both Gayle and Marlon Samuels with the expectation that they bowl their four overs.
Australia have three left-handers in Warner, Hussey and Wade. It may well be the quality of the spin bowling of Badree, Gayle and Samuels that could decide this match.
Secondly again by looking backwards, the West Indies will note that their batting has looked threadbare and brittle. There is too much reliance on Gayle and they appear to be one batter light.
Against New Zealand they promoted Russell to number three. He is a destructive player, but much better suited to the last six overs. They should consider carefully the option of playing the extra batsman.
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