WEST Indies head coach Darren Sammy has admitted that senior opener and former captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s place in the Test side is under serious discussion following his poor form in the ongoing series against Australia.

Brathwaite, who played his 100th Test in Grenada, has looked out-of-sorts with the bat, and could be dropped for the final Test at Sabina Park, with Sammy confirming that “all options are on the table” after Sunday’s 133-run defeat handed Australia a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

“Kraigg hasn’t looked good this series,” Sammy said of the former captain who has produced scores of 4,4, 0 and 7 in the two Tests against Australia this series. “In a team where you’re searching for performances, you get very close to saying, okay, do we give somebody else a chance? We’ll have a good discussion — myself, the selection group, and the captain — about that particular situation.”

Set 277 to win, the West Indies collapsed for 143 on Day 4 in Grenada, continuing a worrying trend of fourth-innings capitulations. It was the second time in as many Tests that the team failed to last beyond two sessions when chasing. “Not good enough, for sure,” Sammy said. “Yes, we all know we’re playing against the Number One team in the world — four quality bowlers in the top 10 — but the display… we’ve just not shown, when it is tough, a way to absorb pressure.”

Sammy pointed to the lack of application and technical discipline in the top order as a recurring issue. “The glimpse where we looked like we could compete was when we had the intent to score, balanced off with proper technique,” he explained. “If you look at the pitch, it was more challenging on the stumps, so you needed to have proper technique. Look at Steve Smith; how he played very leg-side-ish, but when the ball was on the stumps, he respected it.”

He added, “We had a lot of LBWs, probably from being too aggressive on a good length. And these guys [Australia] were relentless on that length. So, a little bit of mindset; a little bit of technical work has to be done.”

The head coach was also critical of his team’s performances after the lunch interval. In both matches, the post-lunch sessions proved pivotal. “When you break down the game in both matches, that second session after lunch changed the game,” Sammy said. “In Barbados, we had them four down, then Carey, Webster, and Travis Head steadied them. But for some reason, after lunch, we just lose momentum — whether we’re batting or bowling.”

Despite the defeats, Sammy praised his bowlers, who claimed all 40 Australian wickets across the two Tests; a rare achievement against one of the top sides in the world. “Our bowling; we can’t fault it. They’ve gotten 40 wickets. I don’t know when last we did that against a top-three team in two Test matches,” he said, adding: “Yes, there could be more improvement in discipline, but they’re doing their jobs. It’s just that our batting has not been up to par against a really good attack.”

He acknowledged that many of the problems with West Indies batting are systemic, and linked to regional infrastructure and player development. “It’s hard to produce the quality of batsmen we want to compete when you look at the surfaces we play on. We barely have guys averaging over 40 in regional cricket. That makes it hard to develop technically-sound players. There’s always doubt.”

“We’ve looked at it very closely — myself, the Director of Cricket, the franchise system. We’re trying to change that — sending the head groundsman around, trying to get the sort of wickets that allow batsmen to trust their technique,” he said. “We also have some technical deficiencies that carry from the Under-19 level up to the senior side.”
Still, Sammy believes his team has had enough opportunities to compete, even against elite opposition like Australia, but has lacked the fight and mental toughness to seize key moments. “In spite of everything — the surfaces, the technical issues — we still find ourselves in positions to win and compete,” he said.

“That’s where we need more mental toughness, more discipline. You can’t be batting 60 overs while your opponent bats 80 and scores at nearly four an over. You’re always 150 behind. We need to strike a balance — score quicker, yes, but also bat longer.”

He also reaffirmed his support for assistant coach Floyd Reifer, who he said has been working tirelessly with the batters behind the scenes. “Poor Floyd; he’s been working really hard with the guys. Hopefully all the stuff I see him do in training, they’ll have the confidence to execute that out there in the middle.”

Sammy confirmed that the final Test at Sabina Park will be a historic day-night pink-ball match — the first of its kind to be played in Jamaica. “Yes, I’ve been told that there will be a pink-ball Test in Jamaica — a historic event,” he said. “So when we get to Jamaica, we’ll get the pink balls and start training. I haven’t had my phone all day — maybe you’ve heard more than me — but as far as I know, it’s a day-night Test.”

Though the defeats have been heavy, Sammy says he remains fully committed to the process of rebuilding West Indies cricket, even in the face of what he described as a “baptism of fire.”

“I enjoy my job. I understand the mission — what the Director of Cricket and I are trying to do. I’ve always blocked out the outside noise. I trust in my ability, I trust in my staff,” he said. “I looked at the schedule and saw Australia, India, and New Zealand and I was like, wow — that’s a baptism of fire. But I’ve enjoyed it.”

“The results haven’t shown yet, but some of the attitudes are changing. The players are buying into what we’re building, and that gives me hope.” (Sportsmax)