by Oscar Ramjeet:

A large number of West Indians have lost interest in the summer game mainly because of the poor performance of the regional squad for the past two decades or so.

They complain that the selectors change the team so rapidly that, by the time they get accustomed to a player, he is out of the team, and cricket pundits feel that the selectors do not give players a good chance before they are dropped from the squad.

Now the Windies team has a completely new face with Leeward Islands leg spinner, Anthony Martin, Jamaican pacer Krishmar Santokie, opening batman Danza Hyatt, as well as Barbadian off spinner Ashley Nurse, and Guyanese all rounder Christopher Barnwell called to join the squad.

The West Indies Players Association has issued a statement questioning the selection policy of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The statement in part reads, "While the WIPA wants to see that young players with potential are incorporated into the team and blooded, this should not be at the expense of the overall team performance or of the obligation owed to the players to deal with them fairly and justly.”

While the WIPA is clear that teams should be picked on performance, potential, playing conditions and preparedness, it is concerned that there may be an appearance that there were other unknown factors being taken into account.

The WIPA also took issue with the replacement of Gayle as captain by Darren Sammy, noting that WICB chief executive Dr Ernest Hilaire was quoted as saying in September 2010 that "Gayle's captaincy was not guaranteed."

The Players Association has condemned the omissions of former West Indies captains, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul from the regional team.

The trio was not selected in the respective 12-member West Indies squads for the T20 International on Thursday and the first two Digicel one-day internationals against Pakistan on April 23 and 25 in St Lucia.

In a media release the WIPA said the selectors have not yet discussed with the players why they were dropped from the squads.

The WIPA release highlighted the averages of the players: Gayle (41.65 in Tests, 39.06 in ODIs and 32.47 in T20s), Chanderpaul 48.98 in Tests, 41.60 in IDIs, and 20.17 in T20s) and Sarwan (41.73 in Tests, 43.20 in ODIs and 22.92 in T20s.

The trio were criticised by West Indies coach Ottis Gibson for their indifferent performances at the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup on the Indian sub-continent.

However, some cricket fans are critical of Gibson, who they feel is not competent to be the head coach and express the view that it is unbelievable for a coach to make such unfounded statement about three of the Caribbean’s leading and experienced cricketers.

April 18, 2011

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