News

We See A Good Opportunity - Moore

Imran Khan | 06/07/07

NOTTINGHAM, United Kingdom - West Indies coach David Moore spoke with the media shortly before the West Indies practice session at Loughborough University on Friday afternoon. Following are excerpts from his responses to various issues raised with him by journalists.

On the state of Shiv Chanderpaul's fitness:

We've worked very hard on his injury (strained ligaments in his right ankle sustained during the second ODI) over the last couple of days and he is having a hit in the nets today so we're hopeful he will be alright for tomorrow. We're keen to have him play obviously. He is very hopeful he will play as well.

On the amazing tour Chanderpaul has had with the bat:

It's been very advantageous for us to have Shivy playing the way he is playing. As I have said before he is very versatile, has played exceptionally well in the Test matches and came out in the One Dayers and the 20/20s and has been just fantastic. It shows you the quality of the player. When a man like that can do what he has done it is no fluke. He works very hard at his game and he is a true professional. He is very committed, he hits a lot of cricket balls and he works very hard at his game.

On Marlon Samuels staying with Chanderpaul and building a record partnership:

Marlon has been around for a while and he has shown a lot in bits and pieces for us. Hopefully Marlon can take a role as a number four batsman. We need people to bat around the players who are set, it doesn't necessarily have to be Chanderpaul because we know one day he is going to fail, hopefully it won't be tomorrow. We need players to set themselves and other players to bat around them which is something which has not been occurring all the time.

On the team plans working to get England danger man Kevin Pietersen out:

When you get a player like Pietersen out early it is a great boost for your team because he is someone that they bat around. If you can execute the plans then that is fantastic, that is what we are aiming to do. We are very respectful of him and we know he has a massive impact. In the two One Dayers we played (v England) before this tour he scored big and took them home in both the ICC Champions Trophy and the World Cup so obviously for us he is a key person to target but you've got other good players in their line up and they are all people you want to get out.

On the pace bowlers channeling aggression in the right direction:

Our pace bowlers have been very good. (Fidel) Edwards has been taking his opportunities as he said in the press and (Daren) Powell is bowling the way we'd like and the other bowlers and all rounders have been doing a very good job. I'm pleased with the way our bowlers have come together and our unit on the field is improving all the time. Our fielding has been good and is getting better, I still don't think it is where it needs to be for international cricket. Our bowling is being relatively consistent for what we want.

On whether a win in the final ODI can salvage what has been an average tour:

I think the Test matches were average. I wouldn't think you would be able to say that the second half of the tour has been average for us. (In) the One Dayers we've been pretty good. We could have won both 20/20 games but we won one and we have won one One Dayer out of two so we are going pretty well in the second part (of the tour).

On tomorrow being a pressure game:

From day one of the tour I have spoken about consistency and if we could put two good games together it would be very good but in the big picture it would still only be two games back-to-back and we really need to work harder on our consistency.

On whether it would be nice to win the NatWest Trophy:

It would be nice to win something away from home. I think that would be very good. The players are very focused and we can see a very good opportunity to take advantage of a situation we are in right now.