Brathwaite urges more Test matches for West Indies
Kraigg Brathwaite is calling for the West Indies to play more Test cricket as they aim to level their series with England.
The West Indies suffered a crushing defeat by an innings and 114 runs in the first Test at Lord’s last week, with England wrapping up the victory before lunch on the third day to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
The disparity between the two teams extends beyond on-field performances. England, part of international cricket’s ‘Big Three’ financial powerhouses alongside India and Australia, contrasts sharply with the economically struggling West Indies. This financial gap is also evident in their respective fixture lists. While England will play 17 Tests this year, the West Indies will compete in only nine.
“It’s a challenge. I mean, we’re longing for more Test cricket,” said Brathwaite in a pre-match press conference at Trent Bridge on Wednesday. “I think the more you play it, the faster you will learn. If it’s drawn over a long period of time, playing two Tests here, two Tests there, you will take longer to learn. We need more Tests.”
Brathwaite emphasized the need for a more consistent schedule. “All I can do is keep preaching for it. I don’t know how hard it is to put on a Test series for the West Indies but all I can do is keep asking. I just hope the powers that be that may control the schedule pertaining to white ball and T20 tournaments can fit in five or six more Test matches for us per year.”
For the West Indies to be competitive in the series, they need significant improvement in their batting. At Lord’s, they were bowled out for just 121 and 136, with Brathwaite himself scoring only 10 runs in his 90th Test.
“It’s pretty simple what we’ve got to do — we’ve got to bat a lot better,” said Brathwaite, who scored a Test century in England at Headingley seven years ago. “We’ve got to find a way. We’ve just got to put runs on the board. I know what I have to do and it’s obviously important to lead this team and lead the batting. We’ve just got to keep learning.”
The second Test at Trent Bridge starts on Thursday.
(Source: AFP)
