SAMUEL BADREE ON WI IN NZ

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It's going to be tough but keep on fighting.  That's the message from cricket commentator Samuel Badree as the West Indies gear up for a grueling three-match Test series against New Zealand in their own backyard.  Game one bowls off on Monday, and while Badree admits the Black Caps are favoured to take the series, he believes the Caribbean men can still make their mark if they show real fight.

Transcript

00:00It's been a tough period for the West Indies when playing in New Zealand,

00:03with 1995 being the last time the Caribbean side won a Test Series in that country.

00:08Having started the new World Test Championship cycle with five straight losses,

00:13international cricket commentator Samuel Badri, like many others,

00:16sees it as a tough outing for the men in Maroon.

00:19Well, firstly, in this World Test Championship cycle, as you so rightly mentioned,

00:22it's been difficult. They lost to Australia here, then they went to India and lost as well.

00:26And not only the West Indies, a lot of teams find it very difficult to play against New Zealand in New Zealand.

00:32So I'm not going to mix any words with regards to that.

00:37It's going to be very difficult for the West Indies in those conditions.

00:41At the same time, Badri is hoping the Windies can show that same fighting spirit

00:45as they did against India in the Delhi Test by stretching it to day five.

00:50Despite losing the contest, many found it refreshing that the regional side

00:54was able to compete against the men in blue.

00:55We saw a couple of centuries in the second innings of that last test against India.

01:00I do hope that the likes of Shee Hope and John Campbell can continue in that vein,

01:05and others can also contribute.

01:07The issue has always been, for quite a long time, from a West Indian perspective,

01:10in that batting department.

01:12So if we can have a few of the batters putting together some good scores.

01:16With injuries to a couple of key pacers,

01:18Badri is aware the bowling department is somewhat depleted.

01:21While he knows it's going to be a test for some of the new faces,

01:26he's still keeping the faith.

01:27I know the bowling will continue to hold its own.

01:30I know that there are also some injuries to the more established fast bowler,

01:34Shamar Joseph, Azari Joseph.

01:35So we have a couple of youngsters in there.

01:37So it will be a heavy workload for Jadon Seals.

01:40But I do think that we can compete.

01:43To say that we can win the series,

01:45that's been a little bit presumptuous and maybe overly optimistic.

01:49Yeah, so maybe realistically, if they can draw one of the test matches

01:52and see what they can do in the other two.

01:55But yeah, it's going to be tough in those conditions to win that series.

01:59Kavim Hodge was not chosen at the start of the new WTC cycle,

02:03having last played against Pakistan in Multan in January.

02:06So what does the cricket commentator from South Trinidad

02:09think about the return of Hodge for the series against the Black Caps?

02:13I thought that someone like Kavim Hodge

02:14should never have been dropped in the first place.

02:16So I'm glad that he's returning to the team.

02:18Alec Artinez, I think, has a lot of potential.

02:20But now, having played the number of test matches that he has played,

02:24he has to understand the art of batsmanship

02:27and be a little bit more productive.

02:28So I understand the travails that Sami goes through

02:32in terms of selection, in terms of availability of players.

02:36The test match team is perhaps the toughest team to select, in my mind,

02:41given the number of first-class matches that we play

02:44and the available pool of players.

02:46The love for test cricket has plummeted in this part of the world

02:49due to the team being obliterated by others.

02:52It's something that also hurts Badri, and quite understandably so,

02:57since he's also donned the maroon cap, albeit in the abridged version.

03:01What is our brand in the West Indies?

03:03How do we see ourselves winning test matches, competing in test match cricket?

03:08So I want us to clearly identify and maybe even articulate what that identity is

03:13and stay true to that.

03:15Firstly, though, you want players of a certain quality and calibre

03:18to be able to identify a plan and to articulate a plan.

03:21Once we've gotten that, I want to see them staying true to their potential,

03:25through to their skill, and really try to grab the interests of West Indian fans once again.

03:32The three tests in New Zealand take place in Christchurch, Wellington, and Mount Manganui.

03:38Vinod Nawani, Chiefs Export.

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