Bad call by captain Adams (10 February 1999)

10 February 1999

Bad call by captain Adams

Tony Becca

In the past 20 years or so, cricket has changed in many ways. Test cricket for example, is to many, no longer the attraction it used to be, the limited-over version has taken over, and where the game was once lily-white as far as clothing is concerned, coloured clothing for limited-over matches and sponsors logos for Test matches are now the order of the day.

Add to that the incessant chatting and shouting on the field, the pressure on umpires caused by appeals for catches not taken, for catches when the ball went no where near the bat, the dissent when batsmen are given out, and the many stoppages for a drink of water, and cricket is really not what cricket used to be.

In days gone by, for example, the batting order reflected the skill and the ability of batsmen. In those days specialists opened the innings, followed by the top batsmen at number three, number four and number five.

Today, especially in the West Indies, it is not surprising to see batsmen of little skill, or players selected as bowlers, appearing up the order - some times to protect the top batsman.

And the same thing happens in the field, where, instead of the team's top bowlers, part-time bowlers are often in action at crucial stages of an innings. Sometimes also, as happened in the fifth one-day international in South Africa when Rawl Lewis did not even bowl one ball, and at Sabina Park in the second innings of the Busta Cup match between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago when Laurie Williams did not even bowl a ball, a player who has been selected as a bowler may not even be called on.

Remembering that the batting order and bowling changes, like the setting of the field, is the responsibility of the captain. Captains have contributed to cricket not being what cricket used to be - and numbered among them must now be Jamaica's own James Adams. Adams not only failed to use Williams, one of his two best bowlers, in the second innings at Sabina Park when Jamaica left Trinidad and Tobago a victory target of 137, he not only delayed the introduction of Nehemiah Perry - one of this two best bowlers, but on Friday, the opening day of the Busta Cup match against the Windward Islands at Alpart, Adams sent Matthew Sinclair to bat as night watchman with the score on 19 for two, with less than two overs to go, and with the bowlers on top.

The use of a night watchman is traditional in cricket, and although many are against it, there is good reason for it.

The use of Sinclair on Friday, however, was not only surprising, it was also disappointing. Adams should have sent in an experienced player, he should have sent in either Brian Murphy or Williams. In fact, he should have sent in anyone but Sinclair.

Sinclair, despite being the wicketkeeper, is a batsman in his own right, Williams and Murphy have been disappointing as batsmen, and the youngster, who was behind the wicket for 78 overs, should not have been sacrificed for either of them.

In the good old days when cricket was cricket, no captain would have sent a newcomer to bat as a night watchman - certainly not a teenaged newcomer who prides himself as a batsman.

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)