Williams, Bassarath say WI critics were harsh

The pair also said that. the criticism handed to. the regional team after. the first Test was overboard. and premature.

West Indies levelled. the three-match series. 1-1 with a five-wicket. victory at Leeds. Starting. the day on five. without loss in chase of. a challenging 322 for. victory, West Indies got. to the target in the final. session with a few. overs to spare. It was a. remarkable turnaround. by West Indies after losing. the first day/night. Test by an innings and. 209 runs in three days.

Numerous former. Test cricketers had some. strong words after the. West Indies lost the. first Test match. Former. West Indies fast bowler. Sir Curtly Ambrose. described the first Test. defeat as pathetic and. embarrassing, while. former England cricketer. Geoffrey Boycott. says it was the worst Test. team he has seen in over. 50 years. Former England. cricketer Michael. Vaughn, also said on. Twitter that the International. Cricket Council. should consider having. a two-tier system in Test. cricket with the lower. ranked team (like West. Indies) in the second. tier.

Williams believes. some of the criticism. of West Indies was a bit. premature, considering. it was the first match in. the series. “(The criticism). was a bit hard,. because it was the first. game and those fellas. are now finding their. straps. It proves that if. you stick to your plan. and you keep working. hard, you could get. good results and I am so. happy that did happen,”. Williams said.

Williams said West. Indies deserve credit as. England did not show. respect to the regional. team by declaring in. their second innings. “I. thought it was a tremendous. victory, a great victory.

For England to declare. and lose like that. I don’t think they gave. the team any respect at. all. It was kind of a disrespect.

I am glad that it. backfired on them and. it shows you don’t take. cricket for granted. It. was a tough task, but. the guys really dug deep. and it was a tremendous. victory. Kudos to the. coach and all the guys. that worked hard and I. am so happy for them.”. Bassarath said he understands. why people. condemned the West. Indies because it was a. poor performance in. the first Test. However,. he believes the lashing. West Indies received. was overdone.

“I am not sure if (the. criticism) was harsh, because. the performance. was poor (in the first. Test) when you look at. it. Some of the people. went over board with. the criticism that was. said against the team.

The people in the game. would know how hard. these young (West Indies). cricketers work. towards their game and. it was not surprising to. me that we played so. well in this second Test. match.”. Bassarath said West. Indies bouncing back. after the first day/night. Test match shows the. team’s mental strength. in tough English conditions.

“It shows the character. of the team. I think. under these conditions. even the great West Indies. team in the past. would have been under. pressure the way the ball. was swinging. Being a. day/night game the ball. would have been swinging. more and hence the. reason why they lost 19. wickets in a day in the. first Test. It is no excuse. for a Test team to lose 19. wickets in a day, but the. fact is that traditionally. West Indian batsmen. have had the problem. of manoeuvring the. swinging ball.”.