Here are some thoughts on West Indies cricket

 MaaNgala Oni Shankalla

Here are some thoughts on West Indies cricket.

Since, 1995, it appears more things change, the more they remain the same with West Indies cricket.

It has become near impossible to root for West Indies cricket. The is backwardness is never-ending. It's as asinine as the experiences, 1900-1960. What is the purpose of West Indies A team? If it is not for preparing young cricketers for international competition, it's a waste of time, energy and space. I am confident Cyril Lionel Robert James and Learie Constantine would agree with the determination I made. Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Rahkeem Cornwall, Chemar Holder, Sherman Lewis, and Jeremy Solozano are young enough to develop into outstanding internationals. Brooks, Chase, Cummins, Hamilton, and Hodge, and the others are a complete waste of time. None of them will become dominant internationals.

This current group of West Indies selectors wasted another opportunity to prepare young cricketers such as Athanaze, Carty, Melius, for internationals. Instead, the selectors choose to display the mediocrity of Ottley, Thomas, Chase, Carter, Powell, Jordan, Pierre, and Reifer . The 50 overs five matches series versus India A team was most disappointing. Ambris and Rutherford showed signs of belligerent approach of greats; Weeks, Walcott, Sobers Collie, Rohan, Nurse, Lloyd, Fredericks, Richards, Greenidge and Haynes.

Will West Indies selectors ever get it right? In summer 1966 they failed to include Fredericks and Lloyd. During the period, 1966-1974; Bynoe, Camacho, Carew, Davis, Headley, Lewis, and Solomon and other mediocre players were preferred over Lloyd, Fredericks, Kallicharran and Greenidge. The Fredericks and Greenidge show should have begun in Spring 1972. Definitely in Summer 1973, Greenidge should have joined Fredericks as West Indies opening batsmen. Again the stupidity of the selectors gave Fredericks some 15 opening partners in 59 matches. In fact, I recall the audacity of Guyanese cricket experts considering Vic Harnannan above Clive Lloyd. The issues are regional, historical, and current.

Clive Lloyd seems to prefer younger cricketers over aging veterans. Lloyd has been consistent. All others rarely display similar foresight. A teen-aged Gary Sobers, Collie Smith, Alf Valantine, Sony Ramadhin were introduced after a handful of matches. Other than the aforementioned, Michael Holding was the major master choice. After express deliveries at Bourda in which he had the better of Fredericks, Kallicharran and Lloyd, Holding was declared ready to face the Chappell brothers.

The selectors should have used the 50 overs five matches series versus India A team to gauge where Athanaze, Carty, Melius, Motie, Hemraj, Cato, King, Bramble, Pestano, Louis, Holder, Springer, Harding and a few others are at.

Cornwall, Paul, Shepherd were disappointing. Pierre was awful. Their performances do not merit inclusion into the senior team to play versus Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and the other Indians.

Khary Pierre and Rovman Powell were horrible against India A team in July 2019. Keemo Paul, is perhaps, short of match practice. Why select Bramble if he will not be the wicket-keeper? Why play Nicholas Pooran as the front-line wicket-keeper when his bat is needed to give West Indies any chance of winning a game. Walcott and Kanhai were wicket-keepers. Walcott and Kanhai exploded once they were removed from behind, the stumps. Yet, the current dummies continue to burden and handcuff the careers of Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran. The selectors are major contributing factors stifling the rise of West Indies cricket. The selectors, continuously flaunt mediocrity as a representation of WI cricket. Hence, the losing continues, unabated, with no light in the tunnel. Winning cricket has eluded West Indies since 1995. Yet the selectors are allowed to continuously, select mediocre players with no chance of being dominant internationals at the expense young promising players.

What are your views?

Jul 25, 2019, 2:59 PM