Holding: Huge challenge for coach Simmons

FORMER WEST Indies ace fast bowler and current expert cricket analyst Michael Holding has described the task facing recently-appointed Windies coach, Phillip Simmons, as a huge challenge.

Holding was speaking in an interview, posted online at Wisden India, where he mentioned Simmons’ new job, as well as the forthcoming three-Test series between the West Indies and England. The 51-year-old Simmons left his post as coach of Ireland to take up a three-year deal with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

“I’m absolutely sure he’s not afraid of a challenge,” said Holding. “Ireland was a huge challenge. (He) going to Ireland was to try and do something in a country where cricket is not thought of highly and not really participated in that much. That was a huge challenge and we can see how good a job he did with Ireland.”

The West Indies have had a tough time recently, as they were spanked 2-0 in the three-Test series against South Africa in December and January, followed by a 4-1 drubbing in the five-game One Day International (ODI) series and a quarter-final exit, to the hands of co-hosts New Zealand, in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

“I don’t expect that Simmons will make any radical changes right now,” said Holding. “I think when he comes in, he’ll be pretty much feeling his way.

“I am not too sure if he’s one of the selectors at the moment. I’d want to suspect that he might not be a selector immediately because he would not know a great deal about the teams in the Caribbean - the regional teams and the cricketers.”

Holding continued, “He has spent the last eight years in Ireland and, although he is a West Indian and knows the West Indian culture, I’m not too sure how familiar he would be with the individual talent in the Caribbean. I suspect he’ll be coming in trying to feel his way around and if there are going to be any changes, I don’t think it will be in structure. I think it might be just in the attitude.”

The three-Test series against England will take place from April 13 to May 5, with matches in Antigua, Grenada and Barbados.

“It’s an important series when you look at it theoretically, but tactically, I’m not too sure how much the West Indies will get out of it,” Holding acknowledged. “If you look at the West Indies squad that has been selected for the series against England, you’ll notice that quite a few names that were at the World Cup are not involved because they are going to be involved in the IPL.

“And who are not involved in the IPL have made themselves unavailable for one reason or another, whether it’s through injury or whatever reason, they’re not available. If that is the case, you could say that a few of the people in the Caribbean that have not been involved on a regular basis now have an opportunity to stamp their mark to make sure that they can perform to be in the team in the future. But I suspect that the team that the West Indies selected wouldn’t be a very strong team to compete against England.”

Holding pointed out, “Although England are not playing very good cricket at the moment, I suspect they’ll play better in the Test series than they have been playing in One Day cricket.”