West Indies call-up for Hinds

At 4 p.m. yesterday, Ryan Hinds received a telephone call at Queen's Park while he was in the middle of a training session.

On the line was the Barbados Cricket Association's administrative assistant with the news that he was called up by the senior West Indies selectors for the first time.

To be honest I was surprised, but yet I feel very honoured to be selected to represent the West Indies at the senior level, Hinds told NATIONSPORT during a short break from his spell in the nets.

Hinds' diehard supporters from his Holder's Hill hometown will probably feel the telephone call was 12 months too late.

The 20-year-old all-rounder, however, was modest enough to admit that nothing comes before its time. And come Friday morning, he leaves the Caribbean with Barbadian Corey Collymore as additions to the West Indies squad for a triangular One-Day International series in Sri Lanka that also involves Zimbabwe.

The 23-year-old Collymore, dropped by Barbados during last month's Red Stripe Bowl, gets the chance to revive his chequered international career which was halted after a Man- Of-The-match performance in the Coca Cola International final against India in Zimbabwe in June.

Hinds and Collymore are to take the places of Jamaican opener Leon Garrick and Guyanese fast bowler Colin Stuart, who will return home after the end of the current Test series in which the West Indies are trailing 2-0.

`It's my chance'

This is my opportunity to produce, Hinds said.

Nothing happens before its time. I can only take the opportunity when it arises.

I just want to be positive in whatever I am doing.

Hinds' selection comes after three seasons in which he has shown improvement since his debut for Barbados in the 1998 Red Stripe Bowl.

A former West Indies youth captain and West Indies A team selectee, the left-handed Hinds has scored 901 runs (ave. 25.02) in 25 first-class matches.

He was also one of Barbados' most consistent performers in the recent Red Stripe Bowl in which he hit half-centuries in the semifinal and final on the way to a tournament average of 72.50.

His left-arm spin, which was delivered at 3.63 runs an over, also earned him the distinction of capturing a regional first-class match haul of 15 wickets in a Busta Cup contest against the Leewards Islands earlier this year.

My goals are to be consistent in whatever I am doing, whether it be batting or bowling and hopefully we will win the One-Day series, said Hinds, who is the first graduate of the Shell Cricket Academy of St George's University to receive a call-up to a senior West Indies team.

I've been working very hard before, during and after the academy.

There is one downside to Hinds' selection: he has to part company with his daughter Satera, who was born on October 10.

Of course, I will miss her.