Why The West Indies Should Keep Faith With Oshane Thomas
His performances were sub-par in the T20s but that's no reason to discard Oshane Thomas argues Garfield Robinson
It was Oshane Thomas’ pace that first grabbed our attention. He didn’t have a free-flowing approach to the wicket or a smooth action. But he had pace -- lots of it. Such was the speed at his command that you knew that if he got it right, batters would have a torrid time facing up to him.
We first made his acquaintance during the 2016 Caribbean Premier League (CPLC), but he didn’t properly introduce himself until the 2018 edition where he captured 13 wickets from seven games. He bowled himself into our awareness with a few scorching deliveries that cleaned up some high-caliber batsmen. New Zealand batsman Martin Guptil was a victim. So was Shai Hope. Both received high-paced, reverse-swinging balls that left their stumps in disarray.
It wasn’t long before international duties beckoned, and by November 2018 he was in West Indies colours.
His stats weren’t stellar. He didn’t have the lowest average, he certainly wasn’t the most frugal bowler. But he took wickets and could singlehandedly undermine the opposition’s batting unit.
It’s not that unusual for the express bowler’s radar to go awry. Yet when he was good he was very, very good. In rhythm and bowling at full tilt he is a ferocious combatant, capable of executing a number of deadly strikes in quick succession. His profligacy was often tolerated because his wicket-taking capacity was so invaluable.
Still, playing him was always a sizeable risk. What if he gets carted in his first few overs, will the captain be brave enough to stick with him in the hope that he picks up a few wickets in his later overs? Or should he leave him wandering the outfield?
It can be a difficult decision, especially in cricket’s briefest format where a single run is often the difference between winning and losing. Runs are a precious commodity and preventing the opposition from accumulating them is sometimes more important than snatching wickets. And so there came a time when his inclusion was considered too huge a gamble. Thankfully, he was still kept in and around the squad and not left on his own to fend for himself.
Thomas had his best bowling figures in T20Is (5-28) in Pallekele in March 2019 against Sri Lanka before Covid put a halt to most sporting activity.
His next T20 outing was against New Zealand in November 2020 and it was noticeable that he was not as impressive as he had previously been. Those watching closely noticed a definite decrease in pace. At his quickest he often clocked in at the high 140s (kph) and even into the 150s. Worryingly, he was now regularly in the 130s, occasionally crossing over into the early 140s.
Pundits, Courtney Walsh included, questioned his level of fitness, which seemed entirely reasonable. What wasn’t in doubt was a significant dip in effectiveness, which kept him out of white-ball cricket until the last two T20Is in the recent series against Australia. And though the series was already decided, onlookers wanted to see how Thomas would fare. Not much had been seen of him for a while and many of us were looking to see what improvements had been made, and if the burly Jamaican would be steaming in at full throttle.
We were hugely disappointed. His rhythm was definitely off, his approach to the crease, stuttering. His pace was down, to the point that he touched 140 on only a few occasions. This was not the feared tearaway who knocked over stumps in the CPL and directed deliveries to climb hurriedly at batter’s throats. Thomas was but a shadow of his best self, serving up cushy offerings that batsmen like Mitchell Marsh smashed to all parts.
He was asked to bowl only two overs each in both games. After going for 31 runs in his first game of the series, and 28 in his second, acting captain Nicolas Pooran decided to keep him out of the attack. It was a reasonable decision. Thomas had looked so out of sorts that there appeared little chance he’d improve if afforded another over or two. He was bad, very, very bad.
And yet, as bad as he looked there is little doubt that he has the talent to become a proficient pacer. We all know about the foreboding speed. But he has other qualities in addition. At his best he brandishes an upright seam that prompts significant swing with the new ball. His tall frame also enables him to elicit startling bounce.
He should therefore be persevered with. Anyone capable of such pace and such devilish deviation through the air is worth something. The West Indies authorities should keep faith with him. It should pay off in the end.
——————
As ever if you would like to have content published in the newsletter by all means feel free to drop us an email.
Leave a comment or reply via email with your response to Garfield’s piece. Your interaction is what helps grow the community and we appreciate every response.
If you missed it we dropped Episode 45 of the podcast, where we discussed the chances of West Indies defending their World T20 title. Search Caribbean Cricket Podcast wherever you listen/watch your podcasts.
If you would like to discuss any sponsorship opportunities or find out more about the podcast - visit our website - www.caribbeancricketpodcast.com