OUTGOING West Indies Test coach Andre Coley said it’s time for the batsmen to find their consistency and take up the mantle as the Caribbean team prepares for their two-match Test series away to Pakistan, starting on January 17.
The upcoming series will be Coley’s last in charge of the Windies Test team, with Windies white-ball coach Daren Sammy set to take over as Test coach from April 1.
Coley, who initially took charge of the Test team on an interim basis in December 2022, said his main focus is getting a result against the Pakistanis in what will be West Indies’ first series in the country in almost two decades.
“Different people in the squad who would have missed out on opportunities before, (can) use this as an opportunity to do better and do it in conditions that could be different in some instances,” Coley told Cricket West Indies media, in a video released on January 7.
“When you talk about Test cricket, it's not only the opposition's skill that provides tests, but the different conditions, different environments and different game situations provide those tests. And that's why you want to play at this level and in this format, to test yourself over four-five days. The game could change so rapidly.”
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Coley praised the work of his bowling unit in 2024 and applauded their ability to bowl teams out in varying ways. He also commended veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach for his leadership on and off the field, and TT seamer Jayden Seales, who has returned from injury with solid returns in the Test format.
For the two-Test battle that lies ahead in Multan, Coley said his batsmen must be prepared to face any type of conditions against a Pakistan team that used spin to great effect to get a comeback victory in their series versus England last October.
“For us, it's about preparing – whether it's a pace or spin-friendly track – that we're equally prepared to give a good account of ourselves…sometimes you can go into conditions which are potentially different from what you're used to at home, but we're going to make sure when we reach on the ground we assess what the conditions are then we’ll prepare,” Coley said.
“There have been instances where we have had significant partnerships from a batting perspective, but they haven't been really consistent enough to put ourselves in a position to have match-winning totals.
“It's time going forward in 2025 that the batsmen now, having been given certain opportunities to test their skills, to learn and translate those into performances.”
The team is scheduled to play a practice match in Rawalpindi before the start of the series, which represents the last set of matches for the Windies in the current Test Championship cycle.
With the Windies not winning a Test series versus Pakistan since 2000, Coley was asked if he felt the team had a chance to make history.
“Once you play a series or a match there's an opportunity in itself. It's not about us creating history, it's about using the learning from 2024 and that consistency that was inserted for the last 12 months, being more set around the brand of cricket we want to play,” he said.
When asked about his highlights with the team, Coley said, “I think right now at this juncture, I'm not necessarily focusing on that. What's important now is the series in front of us. When the Test championship is finished, then I'll have more time to actually reflect on what's happening because the tenure hasn't ended yet.
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“There's still work to be done against Pakistan and I'll continue to give the players the level of confidence they need going into this series.”
The Windies squad features uncapped TT wicket-keeper/batsman Amir Jangoo, with frontline pacers Alzarri and Shamar Joseph missing the tour for varying reasons. The regional team will be led by Kraigg Brathwaite, with Joshua Da Silva serving as his deputy.
