Gibson: WI eye ‘Crick Fest’ as warm-up
WEST Indies head coach Otis Gibson says his players will be using the Supreme Ventures Jamaica Cricket Festival to whip themselves into match shape ahead of next month’s ICC Twenty-20 tournament.
“We’re obviously preparing for the T20World Cup and the Jamaica Cricket Association Festival gives us a good opportunity to come and get some match practice,” Gibson told the Observer yesterday after arriving at the Norman Manley International Airport.
The Windies, who reached the semi-finals of last year’s second staging of T20 tournament, has been drawn in Group D for the impending tournament, along with England and Ireland.
“Going into the nets would be an option, but there is no substitute for match practice and the Jamaica Cricket Festival will give us that opportunity,” the recently appointed coach added.
The team, which will be without Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, will first face Canada in a 20/20 at the Trelawny Stadium on April 10.
They will play Ireland the following day in another 20/20, before moving into Kingston for two One-Day Internationals against Canada and Ireland at Sabina Park on April 13 and 15.
The Windies end the Cricket Festival with two more 20/20s versus Ireland on April 17 and 18 at Sabina Park.
The regional players, who arrived here yesterday following a 10-day training camp in Barbados were Shiv Chanderpaul, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Darren Sammy and Ramnaresh Sarwan. The team will be completed by the Jamaican trio of Wavell Hinds, Nikita Miller and Jerome Taylor.
Gibson indicated that the training camp in Barbados went well and he’s looking forward to some good cricket from his charges in the Festival.
“It was all about physical training… In 10 days I think there were only two net sessions, but this week is all about getting ready for the T20 World Cup, so we’ll do a lot more cricket stuff here.
“Obviously we’ve got games against Ireland and Canada that we look forward to and this gives us an opportunity… to get really focussed on cricket,” he reasoned, noting that the team will not take their opponents lightly.
“All we’re looking for is confidence; it doesn’t matter who we play, (so) if we can play… well and win and get our plans and preparations right going into the tournament with some wins under our belt, it puts us in a good position,” Gibson added.
