By Tony Cozier
In QUEENSTOWN
THEY may not dismiss their opponents as a one-man band but New Zealand are paying special attention to West Indies captain Chris Gayle for the forthcoming series of five One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
The first match is carded for the last day of 2008 tomorrow at this booming tourist town on the south island.
The Black Caps, as they are officially termed here to the horror of traditionalists, have good reason to be wary of the powerful left-hander.
He is presently in commanding form. In six innings over the past three weeks here, in two Tests and two 20/20 internationals, Gayle has thumped 16 sixes and 42 fours. He had scores of 79 and 197 in the Tests, followed by 67 and 25 in the eliminator over in the first 20/20
All this follows his two hundreds in three ODIs against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi immediately prior the New Zealand trip.
When he was out second ball in Sunday’s second 20/20 International in Hamilton, New Zealand’s joyous celebrations revealed that they knew their total of 191 for nine was all but safe.
Their new coach Andy Moles, the former Warwickshire county batsman who succeeded John Bracewell for this series, has impressed on his players the importance of Gayle to the West Indies effort.
“We need to be far more effective in our delivery and need to get more balls in the blockhole,” he said. “We’ve got to be aware that if we bowl slightly wide or on a good length, it’s in his area.”
Moles was in no doubt that Gayle is the major threat to his team’s aim to move up the ICC’s ODI ratings from No.5 and No.4. But he did not discount others
“We’ve spoken about Gayle and we’re practicing bowling fuller deliveries, to get in the blockhole and to restrict his width,” he said.
But he acknowledged that it would be foolhardy to concentrate on one batsman alone, terming the West Indies “a really good attacking batting side”.
“Gayle and any one of the West Indians when they’re playing well and you serve up the same diet of deliveries, they’re going to have a feast,” he noted. “We have to make sure we have change-ups, different lengths, different lines so they don’t set themselves to take us apart”.
Fast bowler Kyle Mills has taken up the theme.
He identified Gayle as “probably the most in-form batsman in world cricket at the moment.”
“He’s got a lot of confidence up and he’s hitting the ball really well,” he said. “He’s a guy who likes the ball coming on to the bat at a consistent pace.”
He added: “He’s got a wide stance and if we can undo him with variations and field placements, maybe that could be the unravelling of him.”
Unlike his coach, Mills claimed the West Indies lack depth in their batting and therefore rely heavily on Gayle.
“If you come across a side with a guy playing so well, if you can get him out early it deflates the rest of the team, and getting Gayle early should expose their middle and lower order,” he said.
Gayle has had a major influence on the West Indies’ efforts on tour.
His 79 in the rain-ruined first Test set a base for a total of 305.
In the second Test in Napier, his 197 in the second innings, his seventh Test hundred and probably his best, was characterised by a combination of exciting six hitting – there were a record-equal ling seven in all – and a careful approach.
In a fifth wicket partnership of 123 with Brendan Nash and another of 80 for the eighth with Fidel Edwards, the captain saw his team through troubled waters.
While the teams jostled, without moving, for the last place on the ICC ranking in the two drawn Tests, New Zealand (113 points) are rated No.5, just one point below Pakistan, in ODIs and the West Indies (91) at No.8.
A 4-1 triumph in the forthcoming ODIs would carry New Zealand above Pakistan to No.4. The West Indies won’t move up, even if they triumph.
They appear too inconsistent, in selection and performance, to mount a sustained challenge.
The evidence of their struggles in the two 20/20 Internationals here, allied to their recent ODIs records (losing all five matches to Australia in the Caribbean in June and July and all three against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi last month) makes New Zealand obvious favourites.
The five ODIs are a chance for several players to advance their names to the selectors through performance.
The cause has not been helped by constant chopping and changing.
A total of 23 players have been used in the last 13 ODIs over the past nine months, allowing no chance for a settled team. There are 15 in the squad here. All should get at least one match.
Gayle must find a settled opening partner, Shivnarine Chanderpaul needs to know where he will bat before he arrives at the ground and Denesh Ramdin must re-establish himself as wicket-keeper after the recall of Carlton Baugh proved nothing except that it still too much for him to adapt to this level.
There are other issues to be determined – is Lionel Baker the best of the young fast bowlers and is Sulieman Benn not better for the short, rather than long, game, for instance – but the mission over the coming five ODIs, apart from regaining the winning feeling, must be to build the most effective team and stick with it.
