Narine could be trump card in final Test, says Gibson
June 2nd, 2012 - 4:30 pm ICT by IANSLeicester (England), June 2 (IANS/ CMC) Mystery off-spinner Sunil Narine could prove a huge asset to the West Indies attempts to avoid a whitewash against England, head coach Ottis Gibson has said.
The 24-year-old, who was a stand-out in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) for champions Kolkata Knight Riders, was unexpectedly called up Wednesday to replace injured fast bowler Kemar Roach.
Narine will not arrive here until Sunday and will therefore miss the two-day tour match against Leicestershire at Grace Road starting Saturday.
However, Gibson said Friday that Narine an unknown quantity in England, surprise could be his potent weapon if he was selected for the final Test of the three-match series at Edgbaston starting next Thursday.
“He’s just come back from playing a hell of a lot of cricket. He’s played a lot of cricket this year so I’m sure he’s been bowling a lot,” said Gibson.
“I think it’s his first time playing international cricket in England and there’s a disadvantage playing for the first time in these conditions but it’s an advantage because the opposition haven’t seen him yet.
“If he were to play this two-day game then there would be some footage of him for them to go and have a look at. He isn’t playing and it means that if he plays (in the Test) it will be something completely new to them so that could be a bit of an advantage for us.”
The West Indies will be looking to avoid a clean sweep in the series after losing the first Test at Lord’s by five wickets and the second match at Trent Bridge by nine wickets inside four days earlier this week.
In the absence of Roach, who spearheaded the attack in the first two Tests, Gibson said he believed Narine would provide adequate cover and would bring strong personal attributes to the squad as the Windies chase their first win of the tour.
“It is an interesting replacement. He’s somebody we’ve identified from the shorter version of the game but the selectors also believe he can play the longer version and this is an opportunity to put that to the test,” Gibson pointed out.
–IANS/CMC
bs/sr/dg
- West Indies look for confidence booster in tour match - Jun 02, 2012
- Gibson says Roach loss a huge blow but looks to Best, Edwards - May 31, 2012
- IPL star Narine to replace Roach in West Indies squad - May 31, 2012
- Fudadin keen to display his talent on England tour - Jun 02, 2012
- Eyes on struggling Windies pace duo ahead of Lord's Test - May 15, 2012
- West Indies losing mental battle against England: Gibson - May 30, 2012
- I got five wickets thanks to Gibson's advice: Narine - Jul 18, 2012
- Gibson backs top order but says Edwards technique exposed - Jun 07, 2012
- Narine says Test call up a dream come true - Jun 01, 2012
- Rampaul in line for first outing of series - Apr 22, 2012
- Gibson rues another "bad hour" after Windies collapse - Apr 18, 2012
- Sammy says team work key in absence of big names - May 04, 2012
- Edwards replaces Rampaul for Jamaica Test - Jul 31, 2012
- Edwards out, Ramdin returns as Windies vice captain - Jul 23, 2012
- West Indies coach Gibson wants to renew contract - Sep 12, 2012
Tags: clean sweep, day game, final test, first test, grace road, head coach, international cricket, ipl, knight riders, leicester england, nine wickets, ottis gibson, personal attributes, potent weapon, trent bridge, trump card, unknown quantity, west indies, whitewash, windies