KANDY, Sri Lanka, CMC – West Indies manager Joel Garner says part of his role on the current Sri Lanka tour will also be helping the young pace attack to develop.
Garner, a fast bowling legend, who captured 259 wickets in 58 Tests between 1977 and 1987, has served as team manager since the tour of Australia last December, following the bitter impasse between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).
With West Indies carrying an inexperienced pace attack, Garner said it was crucial he used his vast experience to assist in the learning curve.
“I’m here to help in anyway I can … I try to say things to the younger bowlers and try to get them to start thinking about the way [they] should approach their cricket. It can only do them well,” said the 57-year-old, who is a WICB director and president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA).
“I pass on the benefit of all the knowledge I’ve got. I’m not only here to manage teams and see how things go but also give some guidance to the younger players.”
The Windies pace attack has been led in the series by Kemar Roach who has played just nine Tests, and includes Andre Russell who debuted in the first Test in Galle and Nelon Pascal, who has played just a single Test.
Garner said despite the youthful squad, there had been an improved approach to the game but stressed it would take time for kinks to be ironed out.
“Any major changes you in see in cricket are going to cause some disruption. I think we’ve been asleep for a little while in relation to how we were doing business,” said Garner.
“Yes, over the last four, five, six months you’ve noticed a bit of a change which is only good for us.
“Things are done differently. I think there is a greater professional approach being brought to the game and that is the way it should have been and that is the only way we can go up.”
West Indies, searching for their first series win ever against Sri Lanka away, managed to draw the first two Tests but Garner he believed the current Kandy Test could produce a result.
“There’s a definite plan with how we approach the game. It has been working. Every now and again, you have to keep reinforcing – if you’re doing things differently – the way that you want it done,” he pointed out.
“This Test match could have a result. I think the wicket is geared for good cricket. From looking at the track it looks like a track that would help the bowlers and help the batsmen so we’ve got to go out and play the cricket from ball one to the end of the game.”
West Indies finished the opening day of the third and final Test on 134 for two, after rain allowed only 40 overs.
