West Indies rope in Ramnaresh Sarwan as mentor ahead of the 2019 World Cup

Two-time champions West Indies haven’t really been up to the mark in 50-over cricket in the last few years. They have not won a bilateral ODI series since beating Bangladesh in August 2014. However, they put on a spirited show against the No. 1 ODI ranked team England in their last series at home. They could hold on to a 2-2 draw in the five-match series.

Hence, with the World Cup just around the corner, West Indies have decided to add some experience in the dressing room. They have named Ramnaresh Sarwan as the mentor for the upcoming tri-series in Ireland and the World Cup which follows soon after. The former West Indian international has already joined the team who are in the middle of a week-long training camp in Barbados. The 38-year-old who played international cricket for 13 years has been asked to specifically work with the batsmen.

Sarwan said that he was overwhelmed when he got the call. Despite knowing the fact that his tenure might just be for a few days, he wants to make a difference. “I have come here to act as kind of a mentor to the players and try my best to assist them in any technical ways and with any shortcomings where I think they can improve, and to offer as much help to the head coach, Floyd Reifer, and his coaching staff,” Sarwan was quoted saying by Cricket West Indies.

Hoping Sarwan can help the batsmen have an understanding of good finishing: Reifer

Sarwan was a solid middle-order batsman for the Windies in the first decade of the 21st century. He played a big part in the middle order, trying to control the innings. He also played three World Cups — 2003, 2007 and 2011. Hence, the Windies coach Floyd Reifer appreciated the move to rope Sarwan in. He feels that Sarwan’s inclusion brings in a wealth of knowledge and helps the batsmen prepare and understand better.

“We are hoping he can help the batsmen get a better understanding of how to finish games, the mindset, how to approach batting first, how to approach batting last, so we thought that kind of knowledge was very important to share. He fitted in very well. He did a lot of talking and a lot of work with the batsmen,” the Windies coach was quoted saying.

[interaction id=”5cb455616fa6691fb5a36f9a”]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.