Work as hard as India captain Virat Kohli: West Indies assistant coach tells his players

West Indies assistant coach Roddy Estwick marked out India captain Virat Kohli as the benchmark that his players should aspire for.

In a media interaction ahead of the One-day International series, which begins Chennai on Sunday, Estwick urged West Indies’s upcoming talents such as Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran to learn from Kohli.

“It’s exciting times for us when you look at guys like Hetmyer, Pooran and Hope,” Estwick said. He added, “We have got young batsmen who are developing. But the key thing is how you prepare to work hard. You have got a benchmark in Virat Kohli. He is somebody who will be in the gym and work very hard.

“A lot of players can learn from him. Then, we have got a chance. Without hard work, there is no success. Hard work is boring but it can give you great success. Once they keep working and dealing with the process, they will have a chance.”

Estwick praised the West Indies for players for their performance in the T20I series which preceded the ODI rubber. He said: “They have been brilliant on this tour, we can’t fault them. They have worked really hard. They are beginning to see the results. If you look at Hetmyer’s play in the T20s, it was exciting. Now, we move to a longer format. People forget the fact that at a very young age, he already has four ODI hundreds. Obviously, there is a lot of talent there. In cricket, you cannot rest and relax.”

Estwick observed that the Windies have improved from the home tour earlier this year. “We are happy with the way we performed in the T20s. When these two teams played three T20s in the Caribbean, the gulf between them was wide. We are happy that we have narrowed that gap [in the T20 matches] and hope to do the same in 50 overs,” he said.

Asked about the challenges in store for the young spinners in the side while taking on India, he said: “It’s a learning curve for these young spinners Hayden Walsh Jr, Kharry Pierre and Roston Chase. It’s all about learning and building blocks for the 2023 World Cup. Once you play against the best, it helps you to raise your game and standard. So, it is good that we are playing against a quality side like India,” he added.

On what dimension all-rounder Romario Shepherd added to the West Indies squad, Estwick said: “He will add good skills to the bowling department and backend batting. He is also an excellent fielder. He is another youngster who we are trying to give opportunities to.

“The only way to find out what a player can to do is to put them against the best. We will see if they have got the temperament and skill and then you can add things to what they are doing. I hope he will learn from a tour like India.”