Dear Editor,
There is often a very fine line between victory and defeat in cricket. When England lost its sixth wicket in the recent game the contest was evenly matched. In the space of about ten minutes Moen Ali took the game away with a performance that he might himself be unable to explain. On the other hand our Lewis, who may well be as talented a lefthander as there is in the game, has obviously not yet been ‘hardened’ for the role he needs to play in West Indies cricket ‒ and I am talking about cricket in all its formats. The administration has ignored my plea for a sports psychologist, but while they twiddle their thumbs some senior people must get into his head and let him know just how good he can be and how badly he is needed at this point. Shai Hope is on the verge of a take-off in the shorter form of the game. Those who were looking carefully would have noticed how beautifully he was striking the ball and how his pure class was emerging. We ought also to recognise how unlucky Samuels was to be given out the way he was, and that no one can do what Gayle can, when the circumstances warrant. Frankly Rovman Powell should be excluded while he develops confidence, and Ambris, who from all reports is also a special batting talent should be included in the final eleven. We should also run the risk of playing without specialized spin, using Samuels and Brathwaite where necessary. Young Joseph must play and must be instructed to be his intimidating best. We must, of course tighten up on the fielding. Finally we must remind the players not to be tentative in their stroke play, and to be tight in their bowling lines. Things can change quickly in this game. We have the players to win the next match.
Yours faithfully,
Romain Pitt
