West Indies unleash in brutal display

Just two days into the World Cup and the West Indies have made everyone sit up and take notice with a stunning approach to the game.

The West Indies have put the cricket world on notice with a savage display in a seven-wicket win over Pakistan — and their bowlers unleashed in a way few could have anticipated.

The Windies knocked Pakistan over for just 105 and chased it down with ease as their ruthless quicks sent out a warning of what every other team can expect when they front up against the men from the Caribbean.

Captain and opening bowler Jason Holder took three wickets, Oshane Thomas took four and livewire Andre Russell grabbed two scalps amid a hostile bouncer barrage.

England has long had a reputation for producing green seamers but in one-day cricket recently, flat tracks are the norm and everyone’s expecting plenty of runs at this World Cup. But Holder and Co. came up with a brilliant way to unsettle batsmen — and it’s a blueprint they’ll be following for the rest of the tournament.

Six Pakistan batsmen fell to short balls as the West Indies pace attack continued to bang the ball into the deck. Only once has Pakistan lost more wickets to short balls in an ODI since 2006, CricViz Analyst reports.

Only once in the CricViz database (2006-present) have Pakistan lost more wickets to short balls in an ODI than the six wickets they lost today. #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/z5JJzfdpgu

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) May 31, 2019

Remarkably, Russell’s first 16 deliveries were short balls — pitching more than 8m from the batsman’s stumps, according to Ben Jones of CricViz.

“It was the execution of a repetitive plan over 16 balls, doing the same thing over, and over, and over again,” Jones wrote. “He ran in, he bowled a short ball. He ran in again, and bowled another, then did that 14 more times.

“Russell wasn’t messing about with variation — he was bowling bouncers, and he was bowling 140km/h heat.”

It was a furious approach echoed by Russell’s fast bowling comrades and one Pakistan simply couldn’t handle. In an age where changes of pace are seen as key in white-ball cricket, the West Indies flipped that logic on its head.

“Their approach is brilliant, it’s shocking and unexpected,” England great Graeme Swann said of the bumper barrage, according to the BBC. “Everyone expects wide yorkers, slower balls, but it was vintage stuff.

“No one expects this anymore — to run up and just get a barrage of short-pitched bowling.

“West Indies just played an old-fashioned game, actually, that may just take this World Cup by storm because people simply aren’t used to it anymore.

“It was a very simple method of bumper warfare. It was very good to watch.”

Russell was really bending his back.

Holder said to expect more of the same when the Windies take on Australia in their next match in Nottingham.

“We want to remain aggressive and that’s through good fast bowling,” Holder said. “Our style is to be aggressive, whoever we are playing against. If you aren’t picking up wickets then you are never going to contain teams.

“It’s good to see a lot of short balls and the discipline and aggression we showed was great. We stacked the overs nicely together and really built the pressure on them.

“If we feel a batsman is susceptible to a short ball then it will be an option we will use.”

The aggressive tactics allowed the West Indies skittle Pakistan in just 21.4 overs and they wasted no time chasing down the modest total. Chris Gayle blasted an even 50 from just 34 balls and Nicholas Pooran faced 19 balls for his unbeaten 34 as their side cruised to the target just three wickets down inside 14 overs.