West Indies: Tuckett, Williams and their omissions (14 October 1998)

14 October 1998

West Indies: Tuckett, Williams and their omissions

Tony Becca

When the West Indies selectors announced the "A" team for its tour of India starting in November, Jamaicans went up in arms.

In the team was Carl Tuckett of the Leeward Islands, out of it was Laurie Williams of Jamaica and Jamaicans were mad. As far as the local fans were concerned, the selectors had "dissed" Williams who, in their opinion, was a better bowler, a better batsman and a better fielder than Tuckett.

Then came the Red Stripe Bowl and after playing in the first match against the United States, Tuckett was dropped from the Leeward Islands team and the Jamaican fans shouted: "I told you so; he can't even make his own team".

On Sunday, after playing against the US and the Leeward Islands, Williams was dropped from the Jamaica team to face Barbados and the fans condemned the selectors for doing that to the man who they believed should have been in the "A" team.

Apart from the fact that the "A" team, according to the selectors, is not a West Indies second XI, but a team which offers the selectors an opportunity to expose players and one which can be shuffled around until the selectors find what they are looking for in a player, apart from the fact that the "A" team and territorial teams are not selected by the same selectors, they are selected for different purposes.

The "A" team is selected with a view to assess players with the potential to represent the West Indies - not to win matches or a series. Territorial teams, however, are selected to win matches and competitions.

The "A" team, therefore, does not necessarily have to include the next best players in the West Indies. The territorial teams, however, should be the best and those selectors have a responsibility to select what, in their opinion, is the best team on the day and for the occasion.

As far as the Leeward Islands were concerned, when they looked at what is not a strong batting side, they decided, right or wrong, to go for six batsmen, plus their wicketkeeper, that left them with places for only four bowlers and with Curtley Ambrose, Kenneth Benjamin and Anthony Lake their top bowlers, it was between Tuckett and Hamish Anthony.

They probably went for Anthony, not only because he can bat a bit, but also because after Tuckett had conceded 28 runs off four overs against the US, he stepped in and collected two wickets for 10 runs off seven.

In Williams' case, the selectors had two problems.

The first? Having decided, and correctly so, to go in with six batsmen, and with a place reserved for the wicketkeeper, the selectors could play only four bowlers.

The second? Of the four places, one had to go to fast bowler Franklyn Rose and two had to go to spinners Brian Murphy and Nehemiah Perry - for the simple reasons that they bowled well on the previous day and Jamaica were up against Barbados who are suspect against spin bowling.

That left one place and as the selectors must have known before but probably decided to take a chance against the Leeward Islands, Williams, who had to be pulled out of the attack after conceding 15 runs off his first three overs while opening the bowling, is not at this best with the new ball.

A selector's responsibility is to select the best team. It is not to protect or to promote players. It is simply to select the best combination from the best players.

The fact that pacer Tuckett was dropped from a Leeward Islands team which included the experienced Ambrose and Benjamin and that Williams was dropped because Jamaica had places for only two pacers and, certainly at that stage of the competition, could not afford the luxury of one who is not a good new ball bowler does not mean that neither should be in the West Indies "A" team.

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