Edwards: It's a good mix

THE SELECTORS WERE heavily criticised for retaining a couple of established players in Barbados' squad for this year's regional first-class cricket championship, but chairman Richard "Prof" Edwards says the best combination was selected.

"The hard part is always trying to pick 16 players because at the end of the day you know that you're going to have ahard-core and a couple of fellows might be sitting on the bench," Edwards declared.

The former West Indies fast bowler explained that he and fellow selectors, Calvin Hope, Clinton St Hill and coach Henderson Springer, faced a dilemma in either keeping some of the young players in the Barbados 16-member squad or recommending them to the West Indies "B" team.

"What do you do?" asked Edwards. "You say, well, all right, these fellows might be sitting on the bench, or do we let them go the West Indies `B' team. Basically, you got to pick your team, or what you think is the best and try and keep them there and the others will get a chance to play with the "B" team," he reasoned.

He used talented 17-year-old left-handed opening batsman Martin Nurse, who made his first-class debut last year for Barbados, as a case in point.

"It would be excellent for him to get a full season playing for the West Indies `B'. He started last year for Barbados and he had a rough time. He didn't get through that well but now he should be in that (`B' team) line-up," Edwards said.

"I watched him play at Windward (cricket club) a couple of times and I thought he played positively and he was brave. I'm hoping he would come through (get selected for the "B" team) and this will do him the world of good."

Edwards also revealed that all was not lost for other players who had not been selected in the original 16-member for the championship which starts on January 31.

"At home, if somebody gets injured, you can replace him. It is not a hard and fast thing like a World Cup," Edwards noted.

"There are people who have played quite well in the trials who are not in the 16 that we have or that other group (`B' team candidates) that are in the wings if things don't go well for the team or if there are injuries, they could be brought in," Edwards said.

Edwards also gave his views on the likely selection ofmulti-skilled YMPC 19-year-old stroke-maker Dwayne Smith in the Barbados starting XI for the first round game against the Windward Islands at Arnos Vale in St Vincent.

"At the end of the day, only 11 can play. Barbados has a strong team and we obviously would like to make sure the real talented young fellows of whom Dwayne Smith is certainly one, would play.

"The difference between Dwayne Smith last year and a year since I saw him is he's gone from a boy to a man. He's a big strapping fellow now, hitting the ball, clean and far. His fielding is brilliant. He can bowl. I think he is a top cricketer," he said.

He also explained the rationale behind the selection of four opening batsmen, two experienced ones in Sherwin Campbell and Philo Wallace and the uncapped pair of Randy Thomas and Jason Haynes.

"You got some experience, you got a couple of youngsters. We, at some time, would like to make sure they get a game or two. The thing is would they get a seven-match run or so - probably not," Edwards said.