‘KILLER’ SPIN

The West Indies white-ball skills camp currently underway at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua is primarily focused on helping regional batsmen counteract one of their biggest downfalls — spin bowling.

This is the view of Phil Simmons, head coach of the Windies senior men’s team, who believes the camp plays an important role in building his players to becoming more all-round and consistent batsmen at the T20 and One-Day International (ODI) levels.

Simmons said they have had six intense sessions so far and the players response has been “brilliant.”

“We’ve always had issues with how we score against spin bowling so that is going to be the highlight of the camp,” he said.

“West Indies have found it tough, recently to bat out a full 50 overs against international competition.”

This, Simmons thinks, is another crucial aspect of their game-play, which needs to be worked on, if they are to churn out improved results in the near future.

Simmons said this camp was not focused on fitness but on skills that need to be enhanced to improve overall competitiveness.

Sixteen players are involved in the camp, which is conducted by Cricket West Indies.

West Indies are currently ranked ninth in One-Day International (ODIs) and seventh in T20 Internationals, which ends this week.