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AFP

Bravo to miss second one-dayer

Chanderpaul praises sports psychologist

AFP
21-Feb-2006


Dwayne Bravo's availability for the remaining matches is uncertain © Getty Images
West Indies' chances of squaring the ODI series against New Zealand received a knock on Tuesday following confirmation that the allrounder Dwayne Bravo would miss the second ODI with a side strain.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies captain, was unwilling to predict whether Bravo would be fit for the remaining matches after being injured in the Twenty20 tour opener last week.
"He's definitely not going to make it tomorrow," Chanderpaul told reporters. "We will wait and see how things will progress. I really couldn't tell you how bad it is."
In an attempt to turn around their record of 14 losses from their last 16 completed games, the team has turned to a sports psychologist. David Scott, an Irishman, who has worked with professional ice-hockey teams, has had a positive impact on the West Indies camp.
"He's been doing a lot of one-on-one sessions with the players, giving them advice," Chanderpaul said. "He's been trying hard. He's been doing a lot of work and we've gone a long way. We're very close. We won the Champions Trophy with the same team. If we get it right we can win games."
New Zealand are more relaxed after their 81-run win in the opening match on Saturday and may continue experimenting with their line-up and batting order. John Bracewell, the coach, is hoping to develop a wider squad leading up to next year's World Cup. Fleming suggested the chopping and changing did not necessarily make his job any easier but he understood the reasons for it.
"My concern is with the team I'm given and winning games. While we're winning it's fine. It's not necessarily comfortable, but it's also about growing the side and players," he told reporters.
Fleming said a win in Queenstown, New Zealand's South Island lakeside tourist hub, could put West Indies on the back foot for the rest of the five-match series. He said, "We're really aware when you're touring and you're under the hammer that it becomes a pretty tough place. Another win now and we move to Christchurch with a chance to win the series, which is what we're after."