Holder bemoans fielding lapses for innings defeat

Jason Holder leads a young team. His top order has limited experience of playing spin in Asia. His own spinner is capable enough, but is not of Rangana Herath's calibre yet. And his pace attack was neutered by a dry Galle track.

Perhaps the only department in which West Indies might have surpassed the hosts is in the field. But apart from several sloppy misfields, and two missed run-out attempts, West Indies also shelled five catches - a sixth catchable ball was not attempted. It was these mistakes that Holder held most responsible for his team's innings-and-six-run defeat in the first Test.

"We created chances with the ball, but we just didn't take them when we came," he said. "If we had, their first innings total would have looked a lot different. If we had new batsmen in at crucial stages when our fast bowlers were fresh, we would have had a chance to have a good burst at them."

I would also bemoan the batting lapses for the massive defeat! Poor batting is what let the team down and it has always been a feature of West Indies cricket to have a top order or middle order batting collapse.

What came first : The chicken or the egg ?


shelled five catches - a sixth catchable ball was not attempted : 2 missed run outs .

Simmons smiling

This destruction has, to a substantial degree, been self-inflicted. The West Indies Cricket Board and West Indies Players' Association have been in a state of perpetual warfare, leaving the islands' best players with no compunction about becoming T20 mercenaries rather than playing for their national team. Who, in the Caribbean, wants to watch a sub-standard, under-strength cricket team when there is American basketball on TV?

Just about every west indian player will opt for the money on offer from T20 leagues rather than the "pittance" on offer from the WICB.

And when you factor in the long history of the poor treatment of players by the WICB no one in their right mind would consider playing for the West Indies over playing T20.