Batting against spin key focus for Reifer at CWI white-ball camp

West Indies batting coach Floyd Reifer has praised the intensity and focus shown by players during the opening days of Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) high-performance white-ball camp in Antigua, describing the sessions as an important step in preparing the regional side for a demanding period of One-Day International (ODI) cricket.
The 10-day camp, being hosted by Cricket West Indies at Coolidge Cricket Ground from May 21 to 31, has brought together a group of senior men’s players as the “Men in Maroon” begin preparations for upcoming ODI assignments, including a home series against the Sri Lanka national cricket team in Jamaica.
Speaking after the second day of training, Reifer said the camp’s early emphasis has been on helping players regain the mindset and discipline required for international cricket, particularly in the batting department.

“The first two days of the camp went really well.” Reifer said, “The objective for the first couple of days is to get the guys back into a frame of mind in international cricket.”
He explained that much of the batting work has centred on improving play against spin bowling, an area the West Indies have targeted heavily over the past year.
“We focused a lot on the batters in terms of batting a lot of spin, focusing on strike rotation and trying to score off as many balls as possible,” Reifer noted. “We also looked at boundary options to spin, especially in the middle overs. That was one of the main focus areas over the first two days.”
While the batters worked on scoring patterns and tempo, the fast bowlers underwent technical sessions under the guidance of coaches Ron Paul and Otis Gibson.
Reifer also pointed to the team’s recent improvement in ODI cricket, particularly at home, where the West Indies have remained unbeaten in recent series.
“We’ve done well at home; we’ve been unbeaten at home, and that’s something that hasn’t been done in years,” he said.
According to Reifer, one of the biggest advances has come in the middle overs, where the batting unit has become more effective at rotating strike and handling spin bowling pressure.
He explained, “Our strike rotation against spin in the middle overs has improved a lot. Actually, it was probably top two or three in the world last year, which is a major improvement for us.”
Despite the progress, the former West Indies player stressed that the regional side must continue evolving to keep pace with the rapidly changing nature of white-ball cricket.
“We all know the game is evolving. Within the next year or so, teams will be looking to score at sixes, six and a half-s and sevens in the middle overs. That’s where we need to continue to build towards,” the batting coach further noted.
The camp forms part of Cricket West Indies’ broader strategy to strengthen the ODI team over the next 18 months as the regional side seeks greater consistency and competitiveness on the international stage.