West Indies Cricketers need an attitude adjustment

Today's West Indies cricketers need to forget the swashbuckling legends of their past and forge a new reputation as a team willing and capable of playing some tough, working class Test cricket. Chris Gayle and his men can't continue strutting the world stage believing they can bat with the arrogance of Sir Vivian Richards or bowl with the lethality of Michael Holding – the talent just isn't there. They can turn things around, but they need a whole new attitude and work ethic.

There has long been a misconception that playing the Calypso style of cricket comes easy, that it's all natural. The suggestion is that the laid-back approach is possible because an abundance of natural ability replaces the need for hard work and determination. But the truth is the superstar West Indies players of the 1970s and 80s worked as hard as anyone on their games. Their natural abilities were obvious, but they were so good because of the work they put into their games and the drive and determination they had to be the best. I'm just not sure the same amount of effort is going in these days.

The effort from West Indies in the First Test at The Gabba was a little disappointing, if not surprising. While they tried their best in the field, keeping themselves in the hunt when at times it looked like getting away from them, it was with the bat they really let themselves down through loose technique and a lack of discipline. A combination of rustiness and inexperience had them struggling at the crease through both innings. The notable exception was young Adrian Barath, whose century on debut in the second innings was a joy to watch, even though he was shadowed by the ugliness of his team's reckless charge towards defeat.

I know the Australians have a great deal of drive and enthusiasm as they strive to raise their world Test ranking, but West Indies played a brand of cricket which made it all a bit too easy. They need to shift their attitude for the remaining two Tests and prepare themselves as best they can for the different Australian conditions.

There were glimpses of the necessary spirit in the performances of Barath and bowler Kemar Roach, who picked up a lot of the slack when Jerome Taylor left the game injured. They need every player in their line-up to roll up the sleeves and get their hands dirty or they can expect more of the same treatment. They might not be able to do anything about the current gap in class between themselves and Australia, but they can become much tougher opponents.

The future of Test cricket depends on teams like West Indies fighting back and it also depends on improvements, such as the video referral system, being successful. The referral system made its Australian debut in the First Test and I'm not completely convinced that they have it right just yet. For one, the whole process takes too long. The delays becoming excruciating, particularly when replay after replay provides no real conclusive evidence and the decision is returned to the umpire in the middle.

One video review issue which may have been overlooked is that the person sitting in front of the review screen in the stands is currently an official umpire. Being good enough to umpire in the middle of a game and being attuned to the video replay system and all the various visual indicators on display may not necessarily be the skill-set of the same person. Moving forward cricket may have to look at training specialised video review experts, so that no detail is missed and every assistance is provided to those out in the middle.

News that Brad Hodge is retiring from first class cricket brings some sadness. When someone as talented as Hodge hangs up the bat with six Tests to his name, when he obviously could have played 50 plus, it is a little sad. He played through an era when it was very tough to break into the Australia side. It could be said that he didn't always make the most of the opportunities given to him, but there were definitely other times when, for whatever reason, he was treated badly by selectors when he deserved a longer run.

He certainly shouldn't be disappointed with the way he approached the game, his attitude and work ethic was second to none through what would have been at times a frustrating career. He will now focus on the short versions of the game and try to make as much money out of it as he can and I wish him the best of luck.