Windies desire impresses coach King

MELBOURNE: Flying in the face of the general perception that the current crop of Caribbean cricketers are lacking in personal pride and a sense of their place in history, Bennett King says he is impressed by the desire of the West Indies squad now in Australia for the VB Series against the hosts and Pakistan. “They’re a wonderful group,” King stated when asked about the challenges of his new job as head coach of the Caribbean side. “They really do have a strong desire to win and a strong desire to do well. It’s interesting that at the camp (in Barbados preceding the tour) it was clear that they have a desire to do well not just for themselves necessarily, but for the people they’re representing. This group was really strong in coming forward with their statements. It was really refreshing.”

Speaking on the eve of the opening match against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today (last night Caribbean time), the former Queensland and Australian Academy coach suggested that infrastructural problems in the players’ home territories were getting in the way of their development. “Within their own regions, at times they find it really hard to do the quality work,” King elaborated. “It’s not because they don’t want to. It’s because it’s just not there for them to do it.” Despite underscoring his assertion that the players had a tremendous will to win, King remained guarded when questioned about the cricketers’ response to his strict and sometimes punishing training regimen. “(They’ve responded) positively.... but they are questions you really have to ask the players rather than me because, I’m going to tell you positively, aren’t I?” he admitted.

“To a man they ask a lot of questions and they are really keen for knowledge and keen for information and that’s what we are trying to provide. “Along with just talking to them they really are keen to get outside there and just do it,” King continued. “It’s been a really exciting time for me because we’re a totally different side to some of the other international sides. We’re a side that’s moving upwards and the players are all ready to move in that direction as well.” Having turned down the first offer of the job in 2003 in the aftermath of a premature announcement by then West Indies Board president Wes Hall, King dismissed suggestions that it was something special to have his first assignment as West Indies coach back in his homeland against the World Cup holders and Pakistan.

“You’ve got no choice.... that’s how it happens,” he responded. “For me, playing against these two strong sides, it really gives us a barometer of where the players are at and gives us an idea of the sort of areas we need to work on moving forward.” Hailed as a coach on the cutting edge of the available technologies, King is so far ahead in his preparation that he has already researched South Africa and Pakistan for the upcoming series in the Caribbean and is in the process of putting together similar data on Sri Lanka for the West Indies’ scheduled tour there in July/August. The key, he says, is not being old-fashioned or modern, but finding something that works. “We’ve been using Sir Gary Sobers at home and I think he’s been very good with the players,” the coach revealed. “I’ve been fully supportive and I’ve been listening really carefully to the things that he says.” (CMC)