From The Cricketer

WEST INDIES LEGEND SAYS HIS COUNTRY MUST PRODUCE QUICKER, BOUNCIER WICKETS TO HELP REJUVENATE THE TEAM

Curtly Ambrose has said West Indies must address the problem of the Caribbean’s “terrible” pitches following their “disastrous” tour of New Zealand.

The Windies failed to win a single match against the Kiwis in any of cricket’s three formats, losing the Test series 2-0 before being whitewashed 3-0 in the one-day international campaign and slipping to another 2-0 defeat in the T20Is.

Ambrose, the legendary quick who coached his country between 2014 and 2016, said he couldn’t bring himself to watch much of the tour and he has picked out several reasons why West Indies are stuck in something of a slump.

And he said the struggle to produce decent fast bowlers is down to the lack of lift and pace in the playing surfaces back home.

“It is too painful to watch,” he told the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian.

“It’s been a disastrous tour and nothing really went well. I’m just hoping that the players and the coaching staff can go back to the drawing board, do some soul searching and figure out a way to start winning.

“It is not so much about coaching, in my opinion, because the guys have got the skills. We just need the coaching staff to instil certain discipline, and passion and pride and commitment in order to get results.

“We need to get back to the days when we were the best team in the world where we had good cricket pitches, where there is a little bit in it for the fast-bowlers, a bit for the spinners and if you’re a good enough batsman, you can score runs.

“The pitches in the Caribbean are terrible, and that’s why when we go overseas and the pitches are bouncing, the players are all at sea. We need to get back quick, bouncy pitches in the Caribbean.

“It will make better players and fast-bowlers.”

IMAGE: Curtly Ambrose coached West Indies between 2014 and 2016

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