Ryan Hinds is a phenomenal prospect, and already a proven matchwinner with bat and ball. He made his debut for Barbados as a 17-year old during the Commonwealth Games in 1998, and he captained the West Indian Under-19 side with distinction during the 2000 Youth World Cup. Desmond Haynes describes his batting technique as the best in the Caribbean, yet it is with the ball that he has made his biggest splash domestically. A left-arm spinner, he took 15 wickets against the Leeward Islands in the 2001 Busta Cup, including a competition-record 9 for 68 in the first innings. He made his Test debut against Pakistan at Sharjah in 2001-02, and started with a crucial half-century. Thereafter, there were displays of talent often promised, but seen too rarely for the team's liking. He was dropped, but this team is one in a state of flux, so a recall is always just around the corner. He was handed the captaincy of Barbados and led them to the 2007 Carib Beer Cup before he was sacked the next September. So angry was Hinds that he considered taking a break from the game but, in 2008, he was recalled to the Test squad against Sri Lanka for the first time in nearly three years.
Andrew Miller