Road to the World Cup starts now

Coach of the West Indies cricket team Phil Simmons is looking to build a team for the T20 World Cup and believes the process begins from now.

Simmons was speaking during a virtual press conference yesterday about the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka to be played in Antigua.

The shortest version of the game will get things going from March 3rd and there has been the recall of two of the region’s senior veterans of the game Chris Gayle and Fidel Edwards.

Simmons acknowledged that both players will boost the team as they have been in form during recent competitions for various franchises despite their age.

With the ultimate goal to build a team for the World Cup later this year, Simmons said this will be the start so they can see how the makeup of the final championship team will be.

Simmons said that the goal is to identify who will bat at the top of the order or middle as well as identifying as soon as possible who will bowl the new ball and who will bowl at the depth.

“It starts form now so when we play Australia in July we know.”

Despite some of the batsmen chosen maybe seen as opening batsmen, Simmons pointed out that “when we get to the game there is no set position they got to do what they have to do for the team whenever they are asked to do it.”

He even laughed and said that one may even see Gayle coming in at number six when the spinners come on.

Edwards has maintained his rapid pace and shown he can still bowl around 90 mph with control at any stage of the game.

Simmons said he is part of the selection panel and he totally agrees with the fitness stance by the Cricket West Indies (CWI).

He said with the standard of fitness set for now it ensures that a certain standard of professionalism can be maintained. However he noted that though this is the minimum standard it will be moved up and moved up until they get to the stage where they are unbelievable.

Though fitness is one aspect of the improvement for the players Simmons said that the coaching staff is there to facilitate the players improvement as they work on weaknesses and strengths and even nutrition.