West Indies legend Clive Lloyd has argued for a widening of the pool used to draft cricketers for the regional women’s team, in light of several poor showings in recent years.
The women team recently ended a disastrous tour of England, which ended with the ignominy of being swept aside 5-0. The concerns for the 2016 World Cup champions, however, spread well beyond that.
The West Indies Women, since being crowned world champions, have won just four of 10 series played and drawn one. The wins have come against Pakistan and Ireland, with other results against more established teams like England, Australia, and India often featuring one-sided or heavy losses.
After watching the England series, however, Lloyd believes two things were clear. There needed to be a better effort in developing the team’s grasp of the basics of the game and more competition was required to push players to do better.
“A lot of players are having technical difficulties. Shrubsole, she is the opening bowler (for England), she bowls inswingers. We’ve known that for years because we’ve seen her, and we’re trying to square-cut a woman with a new ball. If you look at the way they get out, they all play the same shots. Everyone is getting out square-cutting. Who is coaching these women?” Lloyd said recently on the Mason and Guest radio program.
“I think we need to have an overhaul of the situation and we have to try to get women from more islands playing cricket; so that these girls are going to be pushed, nobody is going to push them now because we are just choosing from a small crop of players,” he added.
The West Indies Women’s team has already made some changes to its program with men’s team bowling legend Courtney Walsh recently appointed as its new head coach. (Sportsmax)
