WI no pushovers says King

IT WON’T BE a walk-over for South Africa against the weakened West Indies cricket team in this week’s first Digicel Test in Guyana, says Windies coach Bennett King. He was speaking on a Starcom Network live radio broadcast. “Any Test series against any country is difficult and I think this will be a lot closer than people are thinking. I am expecting the West Indies side to make a good account of themselves,” he said. King said the Proteas were “a side in transition a little bit at the moment” and not the same force they were a few years ago.

“They have some people who are just about ready not to be part of the scene anymore, mixed with some young people coming in. “They also have some people who are yet to establish themselves as far as I am concerned because in some areas they haven’t secured positions yet,” he added. But he listed fast bowler Makhaya Ntini, captain Graeme Smith, top-order batsman Herschelle Gibbs and all-rounders Jacques Kallis and Nicky Boje as key players. On the other hand, King is hoping the young and unproven players in the West Indies team, who are replacing regulars such as sacked captain Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle, will seize the opportunity. “It is up to the individual how they grasp the opportunity and I expect these people to grasp the opportunity with both hands and really try and make it count, King said.

However, he has left the door open for Lara and other Cable and Wireless contracted players who have not been selected for the first Test to be part of the squad. “If the opportunity came up for us to have them in the side, it will be up to the selectors, I suppose, and myself to see whether there are positions for them,” said the coach. “But I’m sure if they are available at some stage there would be something worked out, but at the moment I’ve got the team that’s been selected and I have to be moving forward with that. “I can’t be in a position of what if. We’ve got what we’ve got and we have to make the best of it.”

Still, King conceded that he would have to go to battle without all his fire-power. “I guess it wasn’t the best line-up that was available to us, all things being equal. “Certainly, I think the players that are coming in, it is important for us to set an environment where they can learn and improve and certainly progress,” he said. “That’s what we will be working on in the next week, making them feel comfortable and making sure they realise the quality of the bowling they are going to face or batting that they are going to face is certainly stronger. “But still we want them to do some of the things that got them there in the first place and make them better.”