DHAKA, Bangladesh – Sunil Narine said there was little mystery about how to achieve success for West Indies in their upcoming two-Test series against hosts Bangladesh.
The off-spinner is expected to be a trump card in West Indies captain Darren Sammy’s arsenal during the series, particularly on surfaces that could favour spin bowling.
Narine has made a name for himself in the shorter versions of the game, helping West Indies to win the ICC World Twenty20 Tournament last month in similar conditions in Sri Lanka.
He said his was a simple task and there were simple basics he had to apply to reap success against the Bangladeshis in the longer version of the game.
"I think it is just the mindset that you adopt and the way you go about what you are doing – just concentrate on the areas where you bowl," he told reporters on Thursday following a training session on the nursery ground of the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium here.
"I think you have to be far more consistent and have a lot more patience. Every game I take it as a new game. I think I will approach [the upcoming Tests] it the way I approached the last games we played [against New Zealand], so I just have to concentrate and do what I am accustomed doing.
"We have been practising for the last two days and I already have a mindset, and I know what I am capable of doing, so it is just to deliver the goods for West Indies."
There have been suggestions that the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium pitch was favourable to fast bowling during two recent domestic, first-class matches played there.
Narine said he was not concerned about pitch conditions, since the onus was always bowlers to adapt to whatever kind of surfaces they encounter.
"There’s no type of pitch I prefer," he said. "I just have to concentrate on the areas in which I am bowling, continue working hard on my game, and focus on what my job is to do.
"Any spinner would love to have some kind of assistance from the pitch, but if there is none, you always have to try and do something different. . .I have not set any goals, but I just have to give it my all."
West Indies continued their preparations for the series on Thursday afternoon with a full practice session.
The visitors were due to start a two-day, tour match against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI on Friday. It was originally scheduled to be played over three days from Thursday.
But the BCB announced that the contest has been shelved due to unplayable conditions at the BKSP Ground in Savar, a town about 25 miles north of the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.
This followed an inspection of the venue by BCB and West Indies management officials, including Head Coach Ottis Gibson, early in the day, following steady rain over the last week in the country.
West Indies will now use the additional time to get extra practice sessions ahead of the first Test.
This is West Indies’ third full tour of Bangladesh, following trips in 2002 and last year.