Fans sticking with most test players - Fanfare

Despite the whitewash in the Test series during the recent tour of Australia, Barbadians are staying with most of the players who were on that tour for the upcoming Cable & Wireless 2001 Series against South Africa.

This week FANFARE asked cricket fans to choose their team for the series against world No. 2 South Africa.

"We have been failing time and again in the batting department. It is the biggest problem, and it was evident moreso when we played Australia here in 1999.

"They beat us in Antigua when we failed to pick a seventh batsman," said Curvan Harvey, a batsman from Oran Bristol Cricket Club.

His openers are Stuart Williams and Daren Ganga, or Jamaica's Leon Garrick if either failed.

"We need the best openers because you cannot have the best batsman [Brian Lara] coming in when the ball is still new and swinging," Harvey said.

The rest of his line-up includes Wavell Hinds, Lara, Marlon Samuels, Carl Hooper, Ridley Jacobs, Courtney Walsh, Reon King, Mervyn Dillon and Mahendra Nagamootoo.

Also in the squad are Corey Collymore, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Philo Wallace and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with Gordon Greenidge as batting coach, Michael Holding in charge of bowling and Sir Vivian Richards as manager.

Harvey's choice for captain is Hooper.

"He is the only professional cricketer we have and he is the best in the Caribbean right now. He knows the game well, is a top-quality utility player and can command respect from anyone on the team.

"He has taken the weakest side in the Busta Cup, apart from the Windward Islands, and have put them among the top four. He is in terrific form, the best batsman in the Caribbean and one of the best in the world," Harvey said firmly.

Denton "Pacer" Hoyte, also of Oran Bristol, has Hooper as his captain. His team is Williams and Sherwin Campbell to open the innings followed by Hinds, Lara, a fit Chanderpaul, Samuels or Sarwan, Jacobs, King, Walsh, Franklyn Rose, Dinanath Ramnarine and Corey Collymore.

"The West Indies batsmen need to spend more time at the wicket concentrating more and getting big totals.

"Once they make big totals, the bowlers will be more relaxed and concentrate on getting people out, because they are under too much pressure when the team is bowled out for less than 200 runs," Hoyte said.

His management team includes former Barbados player Tony King as manager, Sir Vivian as batting coach, Colin Croft as bowling coach and Dr. Rudi Webster, "to assist with the psychological part".

Terry Watson, the St Catherine middleorder batsman, also had a say on the team selection. He wants former captain Lara to resume those duties.

"I think he has matured and has come to realise that his dominance must come into play and he must lead by example. I think he has grown big enough to realise that," Watson said.

He wants Lara at No. 5: "With his ability, he can stabilise the innings and still make 100 with the last four bowlers."

His openers are Campbell and Hinds followed by Chanderpaul, Samuels, Lara, Ricardo Powell, Jimmy Adams, Ridley Jacobs, King, Walsh, Nixon McLean, Marlon Black and Ramnarine.

"I have no place for Hooper. He was the most liked cricketer, but I don't think he had West Indies cricket at heart because he was willing to live in Australia," Watson said.

He also thought Barbadian spinner Ryan Hinds should be in the squad and given a chance later in the series. He was also in favour of choosing the team soon, with a complete change in the management team, to be led by Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Vivian or Rohan Kanhai, with Croft and Holding to help with the bowling.

Former Barbados Under-19 and Pickwick slow bowler Wren Miller favoured a mix of youth with experience.

Led by Hooper, he said, because he has come back to regain his place and the performance of the present team has strengthened his case for recall. Miller also felt Ganga and Campbell should be tried again despite their poor showing-in Australia.

Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Lara, Samuels, Jacobs, Hinds, Dillon, Walsh, King and Nagamootoo complete his 13, but there was no place for present captain Jimmy Adams who "is not good enough to make the team".

"The support we get in the Caribbean helps the team in both bowling and batting and that is where we fell down in Australia - lacking that support," he noted.

But one spectator felt Walsh should be rested. Just six wickets away from being the first bowler to get 500 Test wickets, another man who only gave his name as Carter, felt Walsh should sit out one or two matches and give the youngsters a chance.

His team is Lara as captain, Campbell, Griffith, Chanderpaul, Nagamootoo, Powell, Jacobs, Dillon, Collymore, Black, Rose, McLean and King.

The Paul Stewart 13, raised a few eyebrows in the Kensington Stand at the Oval. Lara was also his captain with Hinds, Powell, Lara, Samuels, Sarwan, Ian Bradshaw, Jacobs, King, Dillon, Jeremy and McLean.