WI v ENG 2019: Pace is a god given gift to Windies that led them to a Test series win over England, says Stuart Law

A few England boys don’t like facing Shannon, says Law.

Law says a few England batsmen don’t like facing Shannon | Getty Images

Former West Indies coach Stuart Law believes that the pace is a god given talent to the Caribbean that allowed them to get up to the exceptional speeds to stun the best in business across the globe.

Recently, West Indies has registered its maiden Test series win over England on the back of their outstanding bowling efforts at home after a decade with the final of the three-match series to be played at St. Lucia on Saturday, and Law credited their fast and straight bowling strategy for the historic win.

On Friday (8th February), Law said on a Wisden.com podcast, “You can’t buy pace. It’s a god given talent… that allows these guys to get up to those speeds.”

Law stepped down as West Indies’ head coach in September to join the England county side Middlesex, and he witnessed up close the ability of West Indies’ fast bowlers during his two years in the Caribbean Law witnessed up close the ability of Caribbean fast bowlers.

He was highly impressed with Shannon Gabriel, who was clocked at more than 90 miles-per-hour (145 kph) in the first Test in Barbados against England, saying: “Shannon Gabriel bowling at (that pace), no-one wants to face it and I know for a fact a few England boys don’t like facing Shannon.”

Law signed off by saying, “He wasn’t the main destroyer. He was the one who put the wind up (England) and got them thinking, and then you had the skill and the craft of Kemar Roach, and Jason Holder with his big swing and bounce and a young firebrand Alzarri Joseph who can let rip at 90-plus as well. West Indies had better plans. The strategy was very simple, bowl fast and straight. They attacked the stumps more when they bowled. England were bowling pretty balls outside off stump.”

Noteworthy, Gabriel has taken five wickets at an average of 27.4, while Kemar Roach, Jason Holder, and Alzarri Joseph shared 27 wickets among themselves in the ongoing Test series against England.

(With Wisden Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 08 Feb, 2019

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