In an interaction with reporters at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Tuesday (July 19), Phil Simmons, West Indies' coach, discusses
the absence of Jerome Taylor, the significance of the India series,
building a team for the future and more.
Excerpts:
When did you guys first assemble and how have the preparations gone so far?
We
have been together since the 11th and things have been good. There have
been a few hiccups in the camp, but generally, it's been good.
What were these hiccups?
(laughs) Just a few hiccups with rain. But generally, it's been good.
Cummins in the squad. Strengthens the pace attack?
I
don't know if it strengthens because the experience won't be there.
Miguel was in Australia with us when Shannon Gabriel got injured, so
it's good that he had a little (feel) of what Test cricket is like from
the outside and in the squad. Him joining the team is good.
How significant is this series?
Every
series is significant. I think it's a case where we want to continue
winning. We won the last Test match we played in the Caribbean against
England and then we had a couple of matches against Australia where we
didn't do well. So now, we just want to try and build on what we have
been trying to do in Australia and the last two Tests there were not as
bad. So we're looking to build on that.
Looking at this as a fresh start?
I
don't know about building a team for the future. Every time you go out,
you want to win. If you sit down and say 'you're building a team for
the future', then it means you don't want to win. We want to win every
game. It's about now and how we play now.
Your take on the opposition
Whether
they think they are well prepared or not, they are one of the most
dangerous sides in the world. Their batting line-up alone tells you that
they're dangerous side and that it's going to be a hard series. We
haven't played four Tests back-to-back in a long time, so that too is
going to make it even harder. But we're going to try to do our best in
every Test match.
Any specific preparations?
If I
tell you that, then India are going to know it (laughs). I think one of
the words we're going to harp on is about how patient we are. Because we
tend to get bored of bowling one place and doing well and not getting
wickets, so we try and do something (different). So we're going to just
harp on be patient and do the things that we keep doing well
continuously. It's the same with the batting. You bat long and you stick
around and work hard and get your reward.
Miss Jerome Taylor?
He
will be missed. He's the most experienced fast bowler we have and he
will definitely be missed. His experience and his ability to get the
wickets. In the last Test in the Caribbean, he got a six-for. So he will
definitely be missed.
Patience needed for batsmen?
We
started in Australia where Bravo scored a hundred and Marlon scored and
Kraigg Brathwaite showed that he can play the long innings. It's just
for the others to come up and join them. Now, it's for everybody else to
be part of that.
Holder and Brathwaite bowling leaders?
It's
a chance for everybody. At the start of a series, you look at everyone
as being the man to step up and to lead the team forward. Everyone is
going to try to be the leader, but whoever gets going needs to carry it
on.
It's a case of one of them, or one of the four quicks, being the leaders and taking us where we want to go.
Unsettling to not have a constant spinner?
I
don't know if you can say that because Bishoo has been the settled
spinner for the last three or four series. He got injured during the
England and Australia series. We have only had two spinners in the last
three or four series, which is him and (Jomel) Warrican and we just
decided to go with him for the team.

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