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Defiant West Indies great Curtly Ambrose says all the pressure is on overwhelming favourites Australia to steamroll his side ahead of the first Test in Hobart.
The third-last Test ranked Windies were given little hope of even taking this week’s first Test into a fourth day after suffering an embarrassing tour-opening loss to a no-name Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane.
However, Ambrose said some post-match home truths delivered “in no uncertain terms” had the band of youngsters inspired to pull off what critics believe is cricket’s Mission Impossible.
“We have nothing to lose,” said Ambrose, now the Windies’ bowling consultant.
“As far as I’m concerned the Australians are the ones under pressure.
“They have to beat us because Australians and cricket in general expect them to steamroll us.
“So they’re the ones who are under pressure, not us.
“And we’re going to put up a good show.”
Ambrose added: “At the end of the day when we perform and we beat Australia, the reporters will have to change their tune.”
Ambrose’s press conference in Hobart on Tuesday was arguably the most passionate response from the Windies great in Australia since Dean Jones asked him to remove his white wrist band in a fateful 1992-93 one-day final.
It remains to be seen if his passion is infectious after providing a sobering honesty session to the troops after their 10-wicket loss to “an under 19 team” in Brisbane.
“We had a talk about it and I explained to the guys in no uncertain terms that that’s unacceptable,” he said of their heavy loss to a CA XI with six on first class debut.
“If we’re going to struggle against an under 19 team how do we expect to compete against a strong Australian line-up?
“But we had a good meeting. Coach Phil Simmons called a meeting and we talked about a lot of things.
“I believe strongly that we’re going to put up a better show against Australia.”
Ambrose believed a Bellerive Oval green top provided the best chance of a Windies boilover – and he may get his wish.
A green deck unveiled earlier this week will only get juicier as it stews under the covers after rain fell throughout Tuesday and more predicted.
Ambrose backed his Jerome Taylor-led attack to exploit the conditions and expose a “not that solid” Australian middle order.
“We’re here to do a job and we’re going to make a good job of it,” Ambrose said.
“We’re focused and in light of what happened in the warm-up game, we are confident that we can put up a good show against Australia.”
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