Why did Greg Chappell refuse the West Indies?

Nowadays, it doesn’t take a bookie to predict the result of an ODI, especially one that involves the West Indies. But then, they’ve lost 9 on the trot, and a Bangladesh series isn’t in the offing for a while.

Beyond the outcome, some cricket fanatics are taking a shot at the leading wicket taker. During the second ODI v/s Pak, when the West Indies were blazing away, 60 for 1, an sms was doing the rounds: “WI will lose, Afridi 5 wickets”. At this point, Afridi had still not come on to bowl. He later went on to take four wickets in the game.

Of course, there are loads of crazy cricket sms-es floating around. This however, underlined a simple truth –the West Indians are hopeless against leg break bowlers. Not surprising then, Anil Kumble too, has had significant success against the Windies. After all, he and Afridi share the uncanny ability to skid a straight one at 70 mph plus, in addition to drastic variations in pace.

Now, this leg spin virus is no new affliction for the Windies. Flash back to Anil Kumble’s heroics in the Hero Cup (6 for 12 was it?), and the test series when Hirwani had them like halwa. These games were played more than ten years’ back, but the islanders are still all at sea against leg spin.

A few years back, the Aussies did the unthinkable by including two leg spinners, Shane Warne and Stewart McGill in the playing XI against the Windies. It’s another story, that the West Indies found the apprentice more a hand full that the master.

Greg Chappell has gone on record saying that he refused to coach the West Indies because they had short-term objectives with the 2007 World Cup in mind. However, it cannot be ruled out, that one such objective might have been working out how to play leg spinners better.

Thankfully, the East Indians (the men we boo) have handled leggies rather well.
Sidhu, hurtling down, ferociously, led the attack on Shane Warne. That was in another century, but the dividends were accruing till only recently. After Sidhu’s masterstroke, what followed was an individual strategy, wherein Tendulkar targeted Warne. Remember that new stance, those manic cross-batted heaves over midwicket. That was Sachin in another era, before the back backed out. The last to tame Warne was VVS Laxman, strolling down to play the most glorious on-drives ever. That was before the knee operation. In the last series, VVS was stuck to the crease against Warne. Sadly, almost like a West Indian.

It’s quite simple really. If you don’t attack the leg spinner, he will attack you. Remember Kumble, head all bandaged up, bowling like a man possessed. However, you might argue, that was against the West Indies, and a leg spinner will bowl to those guys even if he’s flat-out on a stretcher.