SOUND NORTH, Antigua, CMC – West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has urged Caribbean authorities to prepare more outcome-focused pitches, following a zero-all match in the recent two-Tests series at by Sri Lanka.
Both games finished in tame stains on flat wickets at Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium and Simmons said it was important to provide more competitive pitches in the region in order to raise the profile of Test match cricket.
“I think we need from a country perspective better wickets where we can have Test matches that will create a result,” he said.
“Even if we lost a Test match after the fifth day, you still think we did well to reach the fifth day and had a chance of winning the Test match, so I am n thinks that is important part of it. ”
The home team found themselves frustrated on Good Friday when Sri Lanka struggled comfortably on the final day of the second Test to win a draw.
Setting an unlikely target of 377 runs, Sri Lanka restarted the final day at 29 without losing and only losing two wickets, en route to 193 before the game was called off.
The first Test had taken a similar direction with West Indies easily beating out the final day after being asked for a 375 win.
West Indies employed a five-piece attack for the series with the use of four sailors and a Rahkeem Cornwall revolver, and Simmons said it was the silence of the pitch more and not the effectiveness of the bowling group, which led to the drawn games.
“I don’t think you can consolidate [the attack]. All you can sometimes do is adjust the composition of the five bowlers, ”the former Test runner noted.
“In this case, the pitch looked like it would decline a bit more and Rahkeem would have come into it but the pitch had improved and improved, and that’s not in our hands.
“So next time we look at it, we might play two spinners or maybe play five fast bowlers but it depends on how we read the field.”
Uncapped Trinidadian sailor Jayden Seales was allowed to train with the Test squad as a developmental move, while experienced rover Roston Chase was named reserve but was not needed.
Simmons said he was comfortable with the current composition of the attack, however.
“We had the bowlers there we wanted to be in the Test team. Everyone else is still a work in progress and still trying to put themselves in contention so these five bowlers are currently our main bowlers. ”
Veteran sailor Kemar Roach was the leading bowler with nine wickets on 23 runs for the first time.