Browne's chance to impress

There is one glaring omission in the West Indies 20-man party for their training camp in Jamaica.

Barbadian Courtney Browne can feel hard done that he did not find favour with the West Indies selectors during their deliberation. The token captaincy of leading the Busta Board XI against Zimbabwe in Grenada, is Browne's opportunity to prove to the selectors why he should be in the mix to reclaim a Test place, if not this season, on the summer tour to England.

Browne, a former Barbados captain, has never been an outstanding batsman, but his century against Leeward Islands this year was of the highest order in demanding circumstances.

He remains by far the best gloveman in the region, and arguably one of the best in the world.

Clean, assured and athletic, he topped the dismissal charts with 17 - 15 catches and two stumpings. Jamaican Matthew Sinclair also had 17- but in one more game than Browne.

By excluding a second keeper we have created the dangerous precedent of allowing Ridley Jacobs to believe he is assured of automatic selection. This can only breed complacency - a sin in an era where talent is short and defeat has become a habit. The other young keepers in the region - Sinclair and Guyanese Vishal Nagamootoo, are not in Browne's class behind the stumps, and have done little in front the wicket.

The place granted to Trinidadian leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine should have been taken by Browne.

Ramnarine has been out of sorts and out of sync, looking less than ideal on the tour of New Zealand and again struggling during the Busta Cup.

Since his shoulder injury, he has tended to roll the ball rather than spin it and should have been afforded the opportunity for proper rehabilitation rather than being tossed in at the deep end.

Two other Barbadians, captain Philo Wallace and leg-spinner Dave Marshall have offered good statistics, but have also been overlooked. Others to watch, especially with a long One-Day programme ahead, are Laurie Williams of Jamaica, and Antiguan Wilden Cornwall.

Wallace with 371 runs, including two centuries merits consideration and now has the chance to settle the score in the Board XI game. A good score will put him in the picture for England.

Marshall, an improved leg-spinner, captured 28 wickets, with a best of seven for 49, and is now left wondering at age 27 if he will ever get a chance.

From the 'campers', the choice of captain is made easy as is the 13 expected for the first Test in Trinidad. Jimmy Adams, with his Busta Cup win, looks set to replace Brian Lara, while Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose deserve selection on form and fitness, not sentiment.

Test 13: Jimmy Adams (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, Shiv Chanderpaul, Wavel Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Franklyn Rose, Curtly Ambrose, Reon King, Courtney Walsh, Merv Dillon.