Some Thoughts on West Indies cricket, July 26, 2019

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 backwardness has been never-ending. It's as asinine as the experiences, 1900-1960. What is the purpose of West Indies A team? If  the West Indies A team is not for preparing young cricketers of 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. Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Raymon Reifer, and  Jomel Warrican 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 Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Kimani Melius, for internationals. Instead, the selectors choose to display the mediocrity of Raymon Reifer, Roston Chase, Jonathan Carter, Akeem Jordan,  Kjorn Ottley, Khary Pierre, Rovman Powell and Devon Thomas.   The 50 overs, five match series versus India A team was most disappointing. Sunil Ambris and Sherfane Rutherford showed signs of belligerent approach of the 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; Robin Bynoe, Stephen Camacho, Joey Carew, Brian Davis, Ron Headley, Desmond Lewis, and Joe 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. They are  Stephen Camacho, Joey Carew, Rohan Kanhai, Deryck Murray, Mike Findlay, Desmond Lewis, Maurice Foster, Geoffrey Greenidge, Ron Headley, Lawrence Rowe, Gordon Greenidge, Leonard Baichan, Bernard Julien, Alvin Kallicharran and Vivian Richards. 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. He has been consistent in that approach. All others rarely display similar foresight. A teenaged Gary Sobers, Collie Smith, Al Valentine, Sony Ramadhin was 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 match series versus India A team to gauge where Alick Athanaze, Kacey Carty, Kimani Melius, Gudakesh Motie, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Roland Cato, Brandon  King, Anthony Bramble, Clinton Pestano, Sherman Lewis, Jeremiah Louis,  Chemar Holder, Shemar Springer, Ryan John, Gidron Pope, Obed McCoy, Emmanuel Stewart, Kirstan Kallicharran, Keon Harding and a few others are at. Rahkeem Cornwall, Keemo Paul, and Romario Shepherd were disappointing. Khary 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 the 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 continue to select mediocre players with no chance of being dominant internationals at the expense young promising players.                       
a) Who are the top six opening batsmen, middle order batsmen, fast bowlers, spinners, wicket-keepers, and all rounders in West Indies cricket?
b) Where does Anthony Bramble rank among middle order batsmen, and wicket-keepers, in West Indies cricket?
 c) Where does Bishoo, Motie, and Veerasammy Permaul rank among spinners, in West Indies cricket?
 d) Where does Keemo Paul, Clinton Pestano, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd, rank among all-rounders, quick bowlers and lower order batsmen in West Indies cricket?
 e) Is the door closed on the international careers of Devendra Bishoo, Rajendra Chandrika, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Leon Johnson, Keon Joseph, Veerasammy Permaul, and Vishual Singh?
 f) Who ought to be the first six batsmen, wicket-keeper, and four bowlers in West Indies test match cricket team?
 g) Who should comprise the first choice playing eleven for the West Indies in ODI and T20I matches?
I prefer five attacking batsmen, three all rounders, a wicket-keeper who is accomplished with the bat and two bowlers who are classified as lower order batsmen as the playing eleven in ODI matches. No tail-enders should be selected for ODI matches. Unless, of course, they are capable of striking fear in the minds of opposing batsmen. Currently, in West Indies cricket there are no such bowlers.
Too many grafters and mediocre players are always selected over promising young cricketers – thus West Indies cricket has become increasingly boring making it a rather agonizing exercise to root for West Indies cricket, in the era of Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase. It is clear there is no light in the tunnel. After showing promising performances at U15, U17 and U19, nothing is being done to influence young cricketers 17-22 years old to stay in the entertainment industry. The 17-22 years old cricketers are stifled by the ridiculousness of the selectors continuance of choosing mediocre performers over them. This is a regional problem. It is true in Guyana, where players from Berbice and other rural communities are overlooked in preference to choosing those linked to Georgetown. Currently, players from Berbice; Shimron Hetmyer, Devendra Bishoo, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Clinton Pestano, and Romario Shepherd, dominate the Guyana franchise cricket. Shimron Hetmyer, Devendra Bishoo, and  Veerasammy Permaul, have appeared in test matches. Shimron Hetmyer, seems destined to be spoken in the same sentence with Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Clive Lloyd, Roy Fredericks and Alvin Kallicharran. Guyana has won five consecutive regional four day championships. However, the selectors aren't rewarding the Guyanese cricketers with several opportunities to demonstrate their skills on the behalf of West Indies cricket.
Are  the following; Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Leon Johnson, Sherfane Rutherford, Devendra Bishoo, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Clinton Pestano, and Romario Shepherd, likely to represent the West Indies and/or be regularly included in West Indies teams within 2019-2024? The fact, the selectors chose Shamarh Brooks, and Roston Chase to captain the West Indies A team is ample proof Leon Johnson is not in contention for selection to represent the West Indies in international matches. Leon Johnson is currently the most successful captain in West Indies regional cricket. While Sherfane Rutherford, and Romario Shepherd played in the recent 50 overs series versus India A team. Rutherford, and Shepherd were not selected for the longer format of the game versus India A team. The selectors are handing Guyanese mixed signals at best. Anthony Bramble is selected as the back-up wicket-keeper to Nicholas Pooran for the first two matches of the T20I in Florida. That reality clearly demonstrated the selectors are not students of West Indies cricket history. Otherwise, they would be aware Clyde Walcott and Rohan Kanhai dominated with the bat once they were relieved of the burden of wicket-keeping. With Fredericks, Greenidge, and later, Haynes, Richards, Kallicharran, Rowe, Lloyd West Indies, played the best available wicket-keeper, Deryck Murray and later, Jeff Dujon. Currently with weak batting and poor bowling, West Indies need to play the best available wicket-keeper, Anthony Bramble and Shane Dowrich and not burden Hetmyer, Hope, and Pooran with the chore of being behind the stumps when their bat is the priority.
    1. Would you advocate increasing regional teams from six to ten?
    2. Would you advocate Berbice be allocated a franchise in West Indies cricket?
    3. Would you advocate transparency in the selection of teams at regional and international competition?
It is long overdue for the selectors explain the following - Who are under consideration for selection; Who were not; Why players are selected; why players were not chosen and Which players are in their short and long range plans. Team selection is also an issue in Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Windward Islands and Leeward Islands as it is for West Indies teams. This confounded nonsense must be ended to make way for winning cricket and West Indies cricket for another lengthy dominance of the cricketing world.

This is Cricket to me -What are your views?

High interjectory -Low interjectory - the process of selectology and others I have forgotten, are phrases, originated from the thought process of the incomparable, Fred Wills,  as he described the action on the cricket ground.  Reds Pereira, Toney Cozier, Henry Blofeld,  John Arlott, Everton Weeks described the action in their various styles and colorful word play.  They were the cream of the crop.

I am particularly fond of Joe Doolam, Ben Doolam, Poonai, Burlin Shaheed, Kanhai, Butcher, Fredericks, Kallicharran, Ancell Hazel, Isaac Suienarine, Randolph Etwaroo, Milton Pydanna, Randolph Ramnarace, Anand Sookram, Lal Munilal, the Sebalack brothers, and Hector Ousley.

They  are my favorite cricketers.  I testify No. # 64 Village Cricket Club, 1966-1972, is my favorite. I confess Joe Doolam most popularly known as Joe Best  is my all-time favorite cricketer. During the period, 1966-1972, I shadowed Joe Doolam, at rice fields at no. #63/64 Village, and Black Bush Polder, at rice mills. I also frequented the  cricket matches.  He participated  in Berbice. The most enjoyable periods were when Roy Fredericks showed up. He did so on  about three occasions. I have fond memories of being in the presence of Joe Doolam, Randolph Etwaroo and Roy Fredericks. I eagerly look forwards to games against Port Mourant. I would cherish the opportunities to simply shoot the breeze with  Burlin Shaheed, Isaac Suienarine, Anand Sookram, and Randolph Ramnarace, and a few others. I also loved watching Ancell Hazel, Lal Munilal and Joe Sukwah and that squad of ball beaters excepting Leonard Baichan, known as Rose Hall. 

It is possible there were better periods of  cricket in Berbice, than during 1966-1972, if it were, then that or those periods were extra-special. Thus, my favorite Berbician cricketers appeared in Davison Cup Club Cricket matches  and represented Berbice in inter-county, Guyana in regional the West Indies and the University of the West Indies in various matches.

I was aware of Milton  Pydanna in New Amsterdam. He and his brother were known as Primo. I firmly believe Sydney Jackman was the best wicket keeper ever produced in Guyana. However, I found his behavior absolutely repugnant. My recollections of my experiences with Joe Solomon and Leslie Amsterdam were totally disastrous and  putrid.

My favorite Berbice eleven would be Joe Doolam, Burlin Shaheed, Anand Sookram, Isaac Suienarine, Kanhai, Butcher, Fredericks, Kallicharran, Randolph Etwaroo, Milton Pydanna, and Randolph Ramnarace. 

My favorite Guyana eleven would be Kanhai, Butcher, Fredericks, Kallicharran, Milton Pydanna, Randolph Ramnarace, Colin Croft, Lance Gibbs, Clive Lloyd, Philbert Blair, and Edwin Mohammed 

Roy Fredericks, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Seymour Nurse, Collie Smith, Gary Sobers, Deryck Murray, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Roy Gilchrist, and Lance Gibbs with Conrad Hunte as the twelfth man, are the cricketers who comprise my favorite West Indies’ test match team on any surface in any country. Those are the folks I grew up admiring . 

The three W’s,  Walcott, Weeks, and Worrell, the outstanding spinners,  two pals of mine,  Ramadhin and Valentine and Robert Christiani were on their last licks.

Lloyd was making loud noise with the bat. He was scaring batsmen into long singles  with his arm while fielding  in the covers.

Fredericks didn’t make his test match debut until 1968 in Australia but he was and is my favorite opening batsman and favorite player against real fast and hostile fast bowling in conditions suitable for fast bowlers.

I believe neither a combination of Lloyd’s nor Richards’s teams, 1974-1991 nor that of original foursome West Indies fast bowlers and/or 1950's edition featuring  the three W’s and the two front line spinners would defeat that team of 1957- 1969  in a five-match series in any given condition. Emmanuel  Alfred “Manny” Martindale, Leslie George  Hylton, Learie  Nicholas Constantine, and Ernest Albert Vivian “Foffie” Williams formed what must be considered as the original West Indies foursome,  at Old Trafford on July 22-25, 1939. How quick they really were? Remains  unknown . . .  Constantine had been bowling in international cricket at least since 1923. That’s at least sixteen years. I don’t think Constantine could have been nearly as fast in 1939 as he was in 1923. That’s simply not humanly possible. After all he was 38 years old in 1939. Therefore, I concluded Roberts, Holding, Croft and Garner were faster than Martindale, Constantine, Hylton, and Williams. Were they much better? That’s also unknown. 

 I still think Roy Gilchrist was the fastest bowler ever to set a foot in international cricket.  Lance Gibbs was  simply the best spinner of them all. Rohan Kanhai was  the most imaginative wizard with a cricket bat in his hands. That then is cricket to me. 

What are your views? Who would comprise your favorite teams at Inter - County, national and international arenas?

originally written on September 7, 2013