The brains behind the attack

The Roddy Estwick press-conference 15.06.2020

Roddy Estwick isnt a name that slips off the tongue when speaking about West Indies cricket.

Yet perhaps he is one of the most integral characters involved in the game. For the best part of the last decade Estwick has served West Indies Cricket in many guises. From U19 head coach to Mens Bowling coach to head coach of the WI ‘A’ team to his current role as assistant and bowling coach of the WI team.

It is this experience alongside his years of service to Barbados Cricket that makes Estwick better placed then many to assess the progress of the West Indies test side.

No fewer than 9 of the 14 man squad are Bajan cricketers, all of whom Estwick has worked with in some capacity. 

In the case of players like Kraigg Braithwaite, John Campbell and Sunil Ambris, Estwick worked with them as U19 head coach and can attest to their development through the years.

Amongst the reserve squad that has travelled Estwick also coached both Keon Harding and Sheyne Moseley at the famous Combermere School in Barbados. 

With so much knowledge and experience of the progression made by so many cricketers it was perhaps no surprise to hear Estwick wax lyrical, about the squad, at today’s West Indies press conference.

“We have a very exciting squad of players, many of whom have progressed from the U19 World Cup winning side. Chemar Holder is a young exciting bowler who has come up with Alzarri Joseph and he took 36 wickets in the last domestic season.

“Keon Harding likewise is part of our reserve squad and although they are absent for this tour Keemo Paul, Shimron Hetmyer and Obed McCoy are all part of the West Indian talent coming through”. 

Chemar Holder running through his paces

The West Indies bowling attack spearheaded by Jason Holder (26.37), Kemar Roach (27.13) and Shannon Gabriel (30.63) have been devastating with the duke ball at home particularly since the summer of 2018.

However, as Estwick states even more impressive is the cadre of young bowlers chomping at the bit to also get in on the action and it is these bowlers Estwick is even more excited to work with.

Much has been written about the ability of Alzarri Joseph but both Chemar Holder (the leading fast bowler in the domestic 4 day championship) and Keon Harding (4th) have shown the Bajan bowling cupboard will not run bare.

And all of this before we mention Oshane Thomas, one of the quickest bowlers in the world and well known in limited overs conversation.

“We are blessed with fast bowlers in the West Indies at the moment”, said Estwick 

“Certainly this is the best we’ve had it since the early 90s. We already have four big fast senior bowlers in Jason, Kemar, Shannon and Alzarri. Their pace and hostility has been well documented.

“However the young pack behind them that are ready to fill their boots. They may not quite be ready yet but once Kemar and Shannon move on they will be. They are hungry and it is very exciting to see”.

Highlighting talent is one thing, unpicking the secrets of the success is another. It is fine to look at the numbers Jason Holder et al have produced in the last two years and draw inferences about the increased potency of the West Indies attack vis-a-vis swing, pace etc.

Estwick feels the secret is more simplistic, in the form of one word, “fitness”.

Referencing the growth of the test side since 2016, Estwick believes that the senior bowlers have all gained experience and understand their game and role.

However in Estwick’s words, the bowling unit’s fitness levels are now at an acceptable international standard that allows the side to maintain pressure and bowl with consistency over longer periods.

Between 2015 - 2017 one of the main criticisms levelled at Jason Holder’s side was their inability to finish sides off when well set and it has been noticeable in the home series vs Bangladesh (2018) Sri Lanka (2018) and England (2019) that this has improved considerably.

But to see the bowling attack as a fast-bowling resurgence alone would be a lazy assumption and England would do well to also be wary of the dual spin threat from Roston Chase and Rahkeem Cornwall.

Chase should need no introduction having taken 8/60 to help West Indies win the first test vs England last year.

However Estwick believes that it is the presence of Cornwall that should most frighten England.

“If we see spin and bounce at any point in the tour, England will be in big trouble against Rakheem. They have seen bits and pieces of him but as he showed in India against Afghanistan he can bowl the team to a test victory. He took 10 wickets in that solitary test”.

Much will be written as the first test draws near, sub plots will be regularly drawn vis-a-vis Jofra Archer, Shai Hope and Kraigg Braithwaite but the cold hard facts remain.

The present West Indian bowling unit has been years in the making but is the most ‘fearsome’ and balanced it has been since the start of its almost 20 year decline.