T Becca: One good stroke for the Windies (3 Sep 1998)

3 September 1998

One good stroke for the Windies

Tony Becca

The West Indies selectors are under fire following the announcements of the teams for the Test series against South Africa, the one-day internationals in Bangladesh, and that of the 'A' team team for its tour of India.

Based on the reaction of cricket writers around the region and local fans, chairman Mike Findlay, Joey Carew, Joel Garner, and captain Brian Lara have made a number of blunders - the most glaring being the selection of Stuart Williams and Darren Ganga for the Test series, Phil Simmons for the one-day internationals, and Adrian Griffith, Richard Smith and Courtney Browne for the 'A' series.

According to the unhappy writers and fans, opening batsman Williams should not have been selected following his repeated failures, Ganga has not done enough to be selected to the Test team, Simmons has been a consistent failure representing the West Indies in recent times, Griffith appears to have lost his way, Smith, apart from his failure to produce, simply does not look the part, and Browne has been in and out of the Barbados team.

In many respects, the writers and the fans have reasons to be disappointed in these selections.

Williams, for example, is an exciting batsman on the go, and is considered a better player than Sherwin Campbell by a majority of knowledgeable people in West Indies cricket - selectors or not. The reality, however, is that in spite of Campbell's poor performance last time out, his record of runs scored and performance in tight situations far outshines that of Williams who also failed to distinguish against England when both were simultaneously dropped.

As far as Simmons' selection is concerned, the selectors should, by now, have convinced themselves that enough is enough. It is indeed strange that he is still being selected.

There is no question that Simmons has the ability to come good, but all things considered, one like Laurie Williams should have been selected ahead of him in the team for Bangladesh.

While the selectors may well be looking to the World Cup which will be played in England and can justify Simmons' selection because of his experience in England and his performance in the English County championships, it is difficult to understand the selection to the 'A' team of one like Smith who has failed to distinguish himself at any level, Carl Tuckett over Laurie Williams who has performed well at that level, Griffith over the younger Leon Garrick who last year was considered the next in line, and Browne - a wicketkeeper who, despite what appears good technique, has a record of dropping simple and vital catches - over a promising youngster like Vishal Nagamootoo.

The selection of Ganga should not, however, be condemned. The selectors, in fact, should be commended for looking at this young batsman and for affording him the chance of a life-time.

The harsh reality is that no middle-order batsman in the region has really addressed the selectors in an effort to demand selection.

The selection of a cricket team is never an easy task, and although Stuart Williams, Simmons and Keith Arthurton have had more than fair share of chances, the selectors probably have good reason to go for Williams for the Test series, and with the World Cup in mind, for Simmons and Arthurton for the one-day internationals in Bangladesh.

If the 'A' team is a breeding ground for the Test team, however, and for the one-day team, the selection of Griffith instead of Garrick, Smith instead of young Sylvester Joseph, Browne instead of Nagamootoo, and Tuckett instead of Laurie Williams is difficult to understand.

So too, in the circumstances, the inconsistency in dealing with Tony Powell.

Powell, it should be remembered, performed well with the 'A' team in Sri Lanka late 1996, came home, performed poorly in the regional tournament of 1997, and was dropped. No problem with that.

Powell, however, had a good regional season in 1998, and since they penalised him for a bad one, the selectors could have rewarded him for coming back with a good one - particularly as the alternatives included Smith.

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