Dwayne Smith Praises Shubman Gill's Leadership Amid West Indies' Struggles

Smith's Insights on Indian Cricket and West Indies' Challenges

By Vivek Prabhakar Singh

Birmingham [UK], July 26: Dwayne Smith, the former West Indies cricketer, expressed his admiration for young batter Shubman Gill's leadership of Team India during their tour in England. He noted that Indian players are well-prepared for Test cricket even before they arrive, contrasting this with the limited first-class opportunities available to West Indies cricketers, which he believes has hindered their performance in longer formats.

While participating in the World Championship of Legends (WCL) for the West Indies Champions, Smith commented on Gill's captaincy, especially in the absence of seasoned players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Currently, India is trailing 1-2 in the series. He stated, “Young players still possess valuable experience. India plays a lot of cricket, and I am confident they will perform well. They have the necessary support and resources.”

Smith, who played 148 international matches for the West Indies, accumulating 2,462 runs and 75 wickets, emphasized that Indian players are almost at Test level before they officially debut. He recalled a coach predicting Gill's future captaincy, saying, “I’m not surprised he’s leading now. India has a promising young talent pool that will be competitive for years to come.”

Regarding the West Indies' ongoing struggles in Test cricket, which have seen them consistently rank low in the ICC World Test Championship cycles, Smith criticized the administration's inability to compete with top teams like Australia, New Zealand, England, and India. He pointed out a recent match where the West Indies were dismissed for just 27 runs, marking one of the lowest scores in Test history.

“We only play about seven first-class matches a year, which is insufficient to compete against world-class teams. While I didn’t expect them to be bowled out for 27, it’s not surprising given our lack of competitive first-class cricket,” he added.

Reflecting on his time with legendary teammates such as Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, and Dwayne Bravo, who won the T20 World Cup in 2012 alongside Smith, he remarked, “I’m not starstruck, but it’s rewarding to play with individuals who have excelled for their country and franchises.”

As of now, the West Indies Champions have secured one win and suffered two losses in the tournament.