Ganga calls for change

Stand-in captain Daren Ganga

Departing captain Daren Ganga believes West Indies must change their culture of cool and become more professional if they are to taste success again at Test level.

Stand-in captain Ganga, who led the side after Ramnaresh Sarwan got injured mid-way through the series, became an increasingly despairing figure as the tourists slumped to a 3-0 npower series defeat by England.

Not required by West Indies’ selectors for the forthcoming one-day series, which comprises two Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals, Ganga sets off back to the Caribbean having failed to inspire his talented but indisciplined side to success against England.

He flies back home to Trinidad after another unsuccessful series both for the team and personally - he averaged just 15 in the series with six single figure scores - but quite prepared to highlight West Indies’ shortcomings.

“We’re definitely improving,” stressed Ganga. “West Indies culture is something that is very unique and we need to appreciate that. We need to find ways of slowly and gradually changing that relaxed kind of mode and turn more professional.

“We’re well on our way, the effort is always there from the players, but it’s a subtle change in attitude and it’s something that is going to take time and cannot happen overnight.

Michael Holding shares Daren Ganga's views © Getty Images

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“We have a lot of talent and a lot of potential in our team and it’s about harnessing it and trying to get the right personnel around our team to ensure we can get victories on the cricket field.”

Ganga’s views are shared by several West Indies greats of the past, including Sir Viv Richards and Michael Holding, who believe the carefree attitude on and off the pitch of the current players has had a major influence on their years of struggle.

It is now 21 Tests since West Indies last won, beating Pakistan by 276 runs in Barbados two years ago, and they have played 25 Tests away from the Caribbean since their last victory on foreign soil when they beat Zimbabwe by 128 runs in Bulawayo four years ago.

That record is an uncomfortable experience for former players like Richards and Holding, who were key members of the West Indies side who dominated world cricket from the 1970s to the mid-1990s and had a strong work ethic in those years of success.

Ganga, though, does not believe West Indies are far away from breaking that losing run having come close to victory on three occasions in the last year.

Chasing 291 for victory against New Zealand in Auckland in March last year, West Indies reached 211 for three only to lose by 27 runs and they came similarly close against India in Jamaica last July when they were 126 for four chasing 269 and crumbled to a 49-run defeat.

The tourists were also on course for an historic victory over England at Old Trafford during the current series chasing a record-breaking 455 in the final innings but once again they collapsed to a 60-run defeat having reached a promising 249 for four.

“We’re finding ourselves getting closer and closer to Test match victories so we’re a couple of sessions away from winning Test matches and that is something we need to address,” said Ganga.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul is committed © Getty Images

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“Again, a consistency in all departments of our game is lacking. It was with us in the last Test when we had England on the ropes and we weren’t able to get that breakthrough against (Paul) Collingwood and (Matt) Prior.

“These are things we need to revisit and address as a team and look at these critical areas and try and capitalise on.”

One player who is exempt from criticism, however, is Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who rightly won man-of-the-series after scoring 446 runs in just three Tests during the series at an average of 148.66.

Chanderpaul’s contribution included going 17 hours and 40 minutes between dismissals, spearheading West Indies’ survival battles in the last two Tests with a brilliant display of batting, and Ganga believes the younger players should use him as a role model for who to go about their cricket.

“His batting in this series has been tremendous,” added Ganga. “I don’t think I’ve seen him play like this before. We all need to take a page out of his book and the manner in which he commits himself to cricket and commits himself to his game.”

Meanwhile, Windies paceman Fidel Edwards has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for swearing during the fourth Test.

The 25-year-old was found guilty of using inappropriate language by match referee Alan Hurst in a hearing after play concluded in Durham.

Explaining his decision, Hurst said: “When bowling, and in frustration, Fidel swore loudly enough to be heard by spectators at the ground and television audiences.

“We are not saying that players cannot show frustration or demonstrate passion but Fidel’s means of doing that was totally unacceptable and does not set an appropriate example.

“The player regrets his actions and I trust this penalty will serve to ensure it does not occur again.”