Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 21/Nov 04:34

Windies coach Daren Sammy: We never wrote off Roach

WEST Indies coach Daren Sammy says veteran Barbados fast bowler Kemar Roach, 37, was never written off from international duty with the regional team. On November 20, Roach was named in a 15-man squad for a three-match Test series away to New Zealand from December 1-21, with uncapped Jamaican speedster Ojay Shields, 29, also being included. The Roach recall and the first-time call-up for Shields come as a result of the absence of the injured pair of Alzarri and Shamar Joseph, who will both be sidelined for the remainder of the year as they continue rehabilitation. On the eve of the three-match Test series against Australia in June, Cricket West Indies (CWI) director of cricket Miles Bascombe had stated the Windies were prepared to move on from Roach, who has been a fine servant for the Men in Maroon since making his debut as a tearaway quick in 2008. In June, in an interview with QFM Dominica, Bascombe said, "Kemar has been excellent for West Indies and we had the conversation with him, and we spoke to him and we let him know the direction we wanted to go. "It was no slight on what he has done for West Indies cricket, but again, we're planning World Test Championship 2027 on to 2029 and at some point, we have to be able to really put down some markers that we have planning for the future." On November 20, in a virtual media conference after the selection of the squad for the Kiwi Tests, Sammy said Roach was never fully out of their plans. "We had to look for qualities that could be effective for us. Obviously, a senior pro in Kemar Roach, especially in these conditions in New Zealand. In the absence of Alzarri and Shamar, Kemar's experience and knowledge became quite important. "But in our minds, we never wrote off Kemar from West Indies duty. When I spoke to him, he was still very much in a mood to play for West Indies and wanted to contribute. And,hopefully, he comes in and does that. And if he does that, and everyone says he proved the selectors wrong, that's a place we would love to be in – where we would have guys performing and proving people wrong." Roach's haul of 284 wickets in 85 Tests is the fifth-best among West Indian bowlers in the format, while he also has 135 wickets across the One-day International (ODI) and T20 formats. His last Test appearance came back in January on the team's two-match Test tour away to Pakistan. Sammy said overlooking Roach for the subsequent series, which followed against the Aussies and India, shouldn't be seen as a slight, but rather a reflection of the improved depth in the Windies bowling department when all players are fully fit. "From all reports in the training camp, Kemar looked very good among the group, and that's what we expect from a senior player," the Windies coach said. "Again, we will select guys, and we will never get everything right. But when we select guys, it's always from a place of the roles that we see fit and the personnel there to fulfil those roles." Roach and Shields aside, the Windies pace attack also includes the Trinidadian pair of Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales, as well as lanky Bajan pacer Johann Layne, "If we have a performing Layne, a performing Anderson and a performing Kemar, and we have the services of Alzarri and Shamar back in the squad, it puts the West Indies fast-bowling unit in a great position to select from." The Windies are currently engaged in the white-ball segment of their tour to New Zealand. They lost a five-match T20 series 3-1 and currently trail the ODI series 2-0 heading into the final match on November 21. Sammy said his charges will need to step up if they are to reverse their current fortunes on the lengthy tour. "It will take a lot of discipline, from not only Kemar, but our batsmen and bowlers. It will take a lot of discipline to stick to the plan and the processes we have to implement in order to be successful here in New Zealand. HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL "I do understand the challenges New Zealand bring to us in these conditions. But I think with what's available and the preparation we've put into this camp building up to the Test series, the experience gained from some of our batsmen and learning how to score Test hundreds and what it requires, I'm really excited about what's in store for us in New Zealand." Also returning to the Windies setup is 32-year-old middle-order batsman Kavem Hodge, whose last Test also came away to Pakistan. Sammy said the right-handed batsman has been selected based on his previous success in pacy and bouncy conditions in both England and Australia. On the selection of Shields, while the coach said the quick might still be a raw product, he believes his pace adds variety to an attack which will arguably be without its two fastest bowlers in Alzarri and Shamar. Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre has been excluded for this series, with vice-captain Jomel Warrican being the team's lone specialist spinner. Test skipper Roston Chase will also provide an option with his off-spin. The team also features players such as white-ball skipper Shai Hope, Justin Greaves and opening batsmen John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul. In the 2-0 Test series loss to India last month, both Campbell and Hope scored centuries in the second Test and will be keen to build on that showing in contrasting conditions. Campbell's century was his first for the Windies in Tests, and Sammy hopes it's an innings which could help strengthen the belief among the batting group. "I'm looking forward to other batsmen stepping up like we saw John Campbell do in India. A John Campbell hundred, it was so inspiring to the other batsmen. They have seen Shai Hope do it so many times. They saw the work John put in and the result he got." The contingent from the Caribbean joined the rest of the squad in New Zealand on November 20, with the team scheduled to play a two-day warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Christchurch from November 25-26. The first Test will be played in Christchurch from December 1-5, with the second Test to be played from December 9-13 at Basin Reserve, Wellington. The third and final Test will be played at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, from December 17-21. West Indies Test squad for New Zealand Tests: Roston Chase (captain), Jomel Warrican (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Ojay Shields. Technical staff: Daren Sammy (coach), Floyd Reifer (assistant coach - batting), Ravi Rampaul (assistant coach - bowling), Rayon Griffith (assistant coach - fielding), Rawl Lewis (manager), Fitzbert Alleyne (massage therapist), Darc Browne (strength & conditioning coach), Denis Byam (physiotherapist), Krisnan Hurdle (mental skills/performance coach), Avenesh Seetaram (performance analyst), Jerome Foster (content and media officer). The post Windies coach Daren Sammy: We never wrote off Roach appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.