West Indies cricket team captain, Brian Lara, is trying hard to inspire his team with personal big scores. That has not worked. Now, he must inspire them to relax and enjoy both his captaincy and their game, if they are to be fully effective in the one-day series.
The recent removal of (Sir) Vivian Richards as Chairman of Selectors could be a catalyst for the team to do well, since they now know that they have much power, if such a powerful advocate of West Indies cricket, one of the team's greatest critics and well-wishers, could be removed from his position due to, apparently, the team's complaints and lobbying.
Although the captain suggested that "he is not worried or would not dwell with that loss, and expects a great one-day series against England and New Zealand, and a great tour of England overall," Lara should be hopeful that his charges take heed.
That history-repeating loss to Ireland in that one-day game, the second game of this tour, could also be another catalyst.
There is nothing like embarrassment, under any condition, to galvanise the mind and body. Lara's men have certainly improved since that loss. That is a very good sign.
As has already been seen, though, the West Indies are going to have problems with their bowling. The length of the deliveries is going to be crucial. In the Caribbean, where the pitches are harder, the young fast bowlers, Jermaine Lawson, Tino Best and even Ravi Rampaul, pound the ball into the ground, short of a good length, a legacy left from the Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh era, men of much greater height, stature and abilities.
In the United Kingdom, the present West Indian fast bowlers are quickly going to learn that the delivery of a fuller length will work much better for them.
All they need to notice is what happened to them against both Ireland in that second game, and against Sussex, a game that they did win. The faster bowlers were less than effective, as much as seven and eight runs per over due to deliveries bowled at the wrong length.
In a very strange twist, the West Indies could be depending on a few slower bowlers to do the trick for them. Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Ricardo Powell could be asked to provide the spin versions, while Dwayne Smith, depending on his fitness, Ian Bradshaw and even Dwayne Bravo, would be better equipped for the one-day series with their medium-pacers. The eventual success, or failure, for the West Indies in the one-day series, though, would simply come down to the batsmen.
Opener Chris Gayle seems to be at sea so far on the tour, a not-too-unexpected event. Devon Smith and Ricardo Powell have also struggled with both the moving ball and with hitting the ball too much in the air. The West Indies 'Big Three' batsmen, captain Brian Lara, vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and the highly experienced Shiv Chanderpaul, all showing good form as the Natwest series looms, would have to lend considerable solidity to the scorecards if the West Indies are to be effective.
The two Dwaynes, Bravo and Smith, as batsmen, could be useful with their powerful, big-hitting batting, but again, the obdurate stodginess of wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs would, as has been the case in the past, probably be called for on many occasions.
Recent one-day history suggests that the West Indies could do well in the NatWest series, since they did draw a rain-affected series with England earlier this year and then, after a few scares, also beat Bangladesh afterwards. How Lara can inspire his troops could be great factor on the results.