Dyson calls for higher standards in West Indies game

Frustrated West Indies coach John Dyson on Monday criticised the standard of the nation's domestic game, saying that it was failing to produce players ready for the rigours of international cricket.

The West Indies, with four debutants in the squad, suffered a 3-0 whitewash against Pakistan in the one-day series here on Sunday a defeat Dyson hoped will provide several lessons for the future.

"Unfortunately the frustrating part is that international sport is about winning, the frustration as coach is that the newcomers don't have the basic skills for this kind of cricket," said Dyson, a former Australian batsman.

All-rounder Brendan Nash, spinner Nikita Miller, and pacemen Lionel Baker and Shawn Findlay were the newcomers who all played in West Indies' 31-run defeat in the final match here on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 274 runs, the West Indies were boosted by a fighting 122 by skipper Chris Gayle who added 151 runs for the second wicket with Ramnaresh Sarwan (62), before a collapse in which the last nine West Indian wickets fell for a mere 74 runs.

Among the newcomers, the 24-year-old Baker stood out with a three-wicket haul on his debut in the first international played Wednesday, a match Pakistan won by four wickets in a thriller that was decided in the final over.

Pakistan won the second match by 24 runs on Friday.

Dyson, who took over last year, said he has been telling the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to improve the standard of regional cricket.

"If you look at the Australian system, by the time a player comes into the Australian team he has played umpteen number of matches in the Sheffield Shield cricket which is very good quality...so he is ready to play internationally."

Dyson, who also coached Sri Lanka, said that the quality of regional West Indies cricket was "nowhere near" the standard of Australian Sheffield Shield cricket, and was generating players that "are unprepared to play against international teams."

Dyson urged the newly called-up players to work hard.

"At this level it's about trying to win matches, it shouldn't be about trying to teach the players how to play international matches," said the coach.

"Our newcomers will have to learn the basics of international cricket, other countries have strong systems and have very very strong basics, so they are doing well."

The West Indies play two Tests, two Twenty20 matches and five one-day internationals on their tour of New Zealand starting next month.

ABU DHABI, Tuesday AFP