Dyson promises aggressive cricket

West Indies coach John Dyson said his team will play aggressive brand of cricket in the four-game...

West Indies coach John Dyson said his team will play aggressive brand of cricket in the four-game one-day international series against India,the first of which begins at Sabina Park on Friday.

We will play aggressive cricket,we will play to win as always,and we will aim for consistency in performance, Dyson told The Gleaner,following his arrival at the Norman International Airport on Tuesday. There is a lot of cricket in any calendar year for cricketers,but thats what professional crickets about. They have a lot of cricket to play. They earn good money from playing cricket and its part of the job, Dyson said.

But the coach warned Chris Gayle amp; Co to be wary of the visitors. He said the Indians may be short on star power but his team will do well not to underestimate the lesser known Indian cricketers. The visiting Indian team are without Sachin Tendulkar,Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. Instead,the team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni have the likes of Abhishek Nayar,S Badrinath and Murali Vijay in the ranks players who are virtually unknown to the West Indies.

Dyson said the hosts would make a mistake if they take the Indian rookies lightly in the four-match ODI series starting at Sabina Park here on Friday. We dont know how theyre going to perform and thats something we have to monitor as the series progresses, Dyson said.

Dyson arrived here on Tuesday with six other West Indies players,including Trinidadian Darren Bravo,Dwaynes brother and the coach felt the youngster stood a good chance in the series.

If you look at the possible side that could walk out on the field,we have an extra batsman,we have an all-rounder who is also a very good batsman,normal pace and reserved pace which is good and a spinner Sulieman Benn. Hopefully,Chris Gayle will be providing back-up spin to him, he said.

Dyson continued: The players love the sunshine on their backs,they like the warmer temperature,the local food. Of course,they like being home. They missed their families while they were away in England and getting back to the Caribbean will suit them down to the ground.

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Asked if the West Indies would target specific Indian players,Dyson said: We always look at the opposition and try and determine who the key players are for them and think of ways that we may combat those key players. What we dont know,of course,is from the lower-profile players,how they are going to perform and perform consistently throughout a series. So thats something we have to monitor as the series progresses.

Dyson added that a series victory for the West Indies would be determined by how the pitches played. It depends on the sort of wickets were playing on,on the conditions of the day,and the form our own players are in,and the opposition players are in, Dyson concluded.

Fidels absence will hurt: Holding

Former fast bowler Michael Holding believes West Indies s plan to use the short-pitched deliveries that was key to them beating India in the ICC World Twenty20 Super Eights match may not work against India in the four-match ODI series,in the absence of an injured Fidel Edwards.

A lower back injury kept Edwards out of the 13-man squad for the first two one-dayers and with Jerome Taylor not fully fit,Holding is of the view that the same strategy wouldnt work.

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Everyone realises that Fidel is the quickest. He can intimidate and will be crucial to use bouncers as a strategy. Without him,though,it would be tough to bowl that kind of short-pitched intimidatory bowling. Jerome Taylor has not been all that fit in recent times. Since the first Test against England in Jamaica,he has not been 100 per cent, Holding told cricinfo.