00:01Cricket analyst Fazir Mohamed sees no surprises in the 15-man West Indies squad for the two tests against Sri
00:06Lanka.
00:07Both matches are at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua with the opener bowling off on June 25th.
00:13Joshua De Silva expected, Amir Jango expected, Al-Zari Joseph, Brandon King, they're also named in the warm-up squad
00:21clearly to get some work in to be in contention for the test matches
00:25and it reflects that balance which suggests that the West Indies will be waiting to see the nature of the
00:32pitches for the two test matches.
00:33The last time both teams played in the Caribbean, the two-game test series finished 0-0 in 2021.
00:40On that occasion, the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was also the venue for the matches
00:44but Mohamed would not be surprised if the pitches are different to what they were back then.
00:49This time around, based on what we've seen so far in the regional first-class season,
00:53the pitches could be quite challenging and therefore the West Indies are keeping their cards all available to them
01:00with the number of fast bowlers that they've selected
01:02including the veteran Kimar Roach was recalled for the tour of New Zealand last year.
01:08Having said that, Mohamed gives the home side the edge against the Sri Lankans
01:12who have never won a test series in this part of the world
01:15but at the same time, he says it depends on how the team plays.
01:18Generally, you would have to say that the West Indies stand a good chance
01:23of not just being competitive against Sri Lanka
01:26but possibly even prevailing depending on the circumstances
01:30and again, if it's a sporting surface for the two test matches
01:33you could see the West Indies prevailing.
01:36On the face of it, it looks as if the West Indies have a very good chance
01:39of holding their own against Sri Lanka
01:42but whether or not they'll prevail, it really depends on the frailties
01:47and the foibles of both teams that are clearly in a position
01:51where they are far from being dominant in this format of the game.
01:55The El Socorro-based analyst says
01:57winning a few sessions in a test match does not mean the game is in the bag
02:00since anything can still happen.
02:03Instead, he wants the Windies to be sharp at all times
02:06and that includes improving in a particular area.
02:09Of course, it goes without saying that catches have to be taken.
02:12We see so often in the international game at all formats
02:15how vital it is to hold your catches
02:19and that continues as well to be a bugbear for the West Indies.
02:23The stats on Caribbean soil shows that the men in Maroon
02:26have won two test series while the other three were drawn.
02:29Vinod Nowani, Tf6 Sport.
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