West Indies Local: First knock

I will still open

Barbados Busta Cup cricket captain Philo Wallace says that he will still open the batting for Barbados, even when West Indies openers Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith return from New Zealand.

Wallace was speaking yesterday after a presentation ceremony and team luncheon at the Time Out at the Gap Hotel and Restaurant in St. Lawrence, Christ Church.

When asked whether he would bat at No.3 to facilitate the West Indian opening pair, the 29-year-old Wallace said that he had no intentions of doing so.

Well, I dont really see myself dropping anywhere. The only time Im going to be dropped is if they drop me out of the squad. Definitely, I am going to open the batting on Friday and the next game and the third game.

I think Im going to open for the entire season. I dont think Ive done a bad job as an opening batsman for Barbados, said Wallace.

His surprising decision to open is bound to fuel lots of debate as the left-handed Griffith was the leading batsman in the Test series against the Kiwis, averaging 61 in the two matches, while Campbell cracked 170 in the opening match at Hamilton.

Wallace has an indifferent Test record, passing 50 just twice in seven matches. In Tests, Campbell averages 36, Griffith 35 and Wallace just 21.

He admits tGriffith has been doing well for West Indies but at the same time he has also done well for Barbados batting at No.3.

He has been selected as an opener for West Indies while batting at No. 3 for Barbados, so we will just continue in this role until a decision is made otherwise, said Wallace.

Earlier in the afternoon, Ryan Hurley, an employee of the Gems of Barbados project, and Antonio Mayers who is also part of the programme, were presented with tokens of appreciation by Rodney Wilkinson, the chief executive officer of Gems of Barbados.

They were presented with a pair of pads and a voucher for $750 to assist them in purchasing cricket gear.

I would think that we at this company could do whatever we can to assist cricket development. We will do it by way of providing employment to youngsters who cannot find employment and we will also do it by way of providing whatever assistance we can either in cricket development and in sports development and organisation, said Wilkinson.

Barbados first game is against Guyana at Kensington Oval on Friday.