Time not on Moore's side

Profiles / Editor / 08 May 2007 / Leave a Comment

David Moore, the newly-appointed West Indies coach, admits time is against him as he plots his blueprint for success in the upcoming Test series against England.

The first Test starts next week and Moore has made no secret of the fact he would have liked more time to prepare his side, who are trading as the 8.4 outsiders to claim victory against the Three Lions (1.69) at Lord's. The draw is on offer at 3.45.
Moore said: "We are in a situation where we are coming off a lot of one-day cricket and moving into Test matches, which is a real test of one's skill.

"We do not have a lot of time, but have one-warm-up game and have to utilise the time effectively."
Moore is looking to create the next generation of West Indies stars in the aftermath of Brian Lara's retirement, adding it is a fresh start for the entire squad.

He added: "It's a good opportunity to move the team forward and we will be looking to all the players to perform at their best levels.

"We've lost Brian, which leaves a big hole, but it is a wonderful opportunity for all the batsmen to stake a claim in replacing him in the side.

"[Chris] Gayle, [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul and [Ramnaresh] Sarwan are all quality batsmen but they are probably not happy with the amount of runs they have been scoring recently in Test cricket and we are looking to them to contribute in the batting order.
"Also I'm looking for players like [Dwayne] Bravo and [Denesh] Ramdin to also score runs in the lower middle order, it's an important area for us in the past and these guys need to perform."

Betfair punters are far from convinced that Moore's reign will begin with a series win in England as they are trading as the 9.4 outsiders, with Peter Moores' men the outright 1.29 favourites to triumph on home soil. The drawn series is on offer at 6.6.