By Gary Smith
Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent
Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com

LONDON, England: Former West Indies fast bowler Colin Croft believes the regional side’s current wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, had lost his form immensely since making a upright start to his international career.

West Indies wicketkeeper, Denesh Ramdin. Photo by Digicel/ Getty Images

The 22-year-old Trinidadian has been criticised largely for his lack of form – mainly with the glove -- and Croft believes the talented wicketkeeper, who is seen as the long-term man to stand behind the stumps has not been putting in the necessary workload to improve his game.

“My own theory is that he does not practice as much as he needs to be practicing,” Croft said during the first Test match between England and West Indies at Lords on Thursday.

“I think wicketkeepers have to do a little bit more work. These guys play only international cricket, very seldom do they play for their clubs and for their countries.

“So I would have thought that after the World Cup [he] would have gone back and had some serious heavy practice.

“He did play a couple [of games] for his club team in Trinidad, but I still believe that they all need to be practicing a little more,” Croft added.

Meanwhile, Barbadian writer/commentator Tony Cozier feels that although Ramdin has not been showing the same form he promised when he made his debut against Sri Lanka in 2005, the Trinidadian is blessed with the talent and still has time to get it right.

“It’s a disappointment really because he’s looked so good… no question, he is still only 22 and maybe just going through a phase.

“He’s the only keeper in the side. The selectors have said you are the one, we’ve kept with you.”

During the opening day of the first Test on Thursday, Ramdin struggled in the latter half of the match to keep the ball in the gloves. On a few occasions the wicketkeeper would move over to collect ball but failed to keep it in his gloves.

Ramdin also dropped opener Alastair Cook off Dwayne Bravo’s bowling after the ball was clearing going to Chris Gayle at first slip, which left Croft in a contrasting mood. Cook went on to score an undefeated 102 at the close of the shorten day.

“The thing about it though is Ramdin, today for the first part was good,” Croft said. “He kept really well until maybe about 20-30 minutes after lunch and then he started falling away, which suggest it could be a little tiredness.”

To be fair to Ramdin, who was working under challenging atmosphere at Lord’s, it was difficult to play wicketkeeper when the ball is doing so much movement.

On several occasions Bravo would bowl deliveries that would produce unexpected major swings further away from Ramdin after the batsmen would play their best shots and still miss the ball completely.