Eight defeats in eight

King defends struggling West Indies

Cricinfo staff

March 21, 2006

Brain Lara heads back to the pavilion after another failure © Getty Images

The comprehensive 10-wicket loss in the second Test was their eighth in succession, their worst sequence since they gained Test status in 1928. In the modern era, only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have endured more dismal runs.

"We have only ourselves to blame," Bennett King, West Indies' under-fire coach admitted. "Our batting didn't show the application that was needed, we didn't bowl as well in the areas as we did in Auckland, catches that we dropped cost us."

That was a confession that his side were outbowled, outbatted and outfielded, and is likely to lead to more questions over his own contribution to the team.

"We truly believe that this side is much better than what it is doing," King added. "We don't believe it's a skill issue. We believe it's an application and a personal issue and we've just got to be stronger as cricketers and as people.

"We can't afford to go from one match doing one thing well and to the next match not doing it as well. This is what we keep stressing at training individually and we're not going to stop doing that because we have to keep improving, We can't afford to go backwards at all."

And he was quick to spring to the defence of Brian Lara, whose form is of growing concern. In his last 13 Test innings, he has passed fifty only once - although that was a massive 226 against Australia - and after missing the one-dayers against New Zealand, in he only made seven runs in four innings in the Tests.

"He's not out there long enough to know if he's struggling," King said. "In the four innings he's played, he's got out four different ways, so in terms of him having a weakness anywhere, I'm not sure. But New Zealand know where they are going to get him out at the moment.

"Brian is the world's leading run scorer and has as much passion for the game now and West Indies cricket as anyone else in our side. Brian's certainly got the passion to do well. He's training very hard in the nets and he is very keen to do well.''

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Players/Umpires

Bennett King

Brian Lara

Series/Tournaments

West Indies tour of New Zealand

Teams

West Indies