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Caribbean T20 three-way battle
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COMMENTS: Courtney Walsh
Former international cricketer Courtney Walsh talks about the upcoming Caribbean T20, his desire to play and whether the criticisms against WI captain Chris Gayle are justified.
- Who are the favourites going into the Caribbean T20?
Jamaica are the best team on paper and Trinidad are a well-rounded team, so they’ll start as favourites but Barbados have something to prove.
- How will the tournament compare with the IPL or the Friends Provident T20?
It will be shorter with fewer teams but it’s a good start for West Indies cricket. The timing is right as the kids are on their summer holidays and can come to matches.
- Would you like to have played Twenty20?
Twenty20 would be easy – you only have to bowl four overs! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a batsman’s game with the ball being knocked all over the park but it would be lovely to play.
- Does Allan Stanford deserve some credit for his role in popularising the 20-over game?
In some ways he was tremendous for the region. To have the islands competing against each other was never heard of before and it got every nation in the Caribbean interested in playing.
- Can the West Indies be hopeful ahead of next year’s World Cup?
We fared poorly in our back yard in the World Twenty20. The time has come to examine what we’re doing and appoint specialist coaches so we can have a specialist 20-over squad, 50-over squad, and Test match squad.
- Are the criticisms of Chris Gayle’s captaincy justified?
He’s not been as consistent as he would like but he’s been under tremendous pressure. Now it’s about deciding what’s best for Chris Gayle and what’s best for West Indies cricket.
- Can the West Indies still produce cricketing talent?
Talent is always there and that’s the case if you look at our under-19s and under 21s. Unfortunately at the top end we haven’t been able to fine-tune that talent. But with a little more consistency in our way of thinking we can bring it through again.
* Catch the remainder of the Caribbean Twenty20 Cricket live on ESPN, 28-31 July.
Published: 22 July 2010
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