SELECTION CHOICES

Dec 09, 2008 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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In keeping with innovative trends taking place within the pages of this newspaper for which our publisher, Glenn Lall, and our editor, Adam Harris, must be praised, the Peeping Tom column also proposes to venture into areas which in the past had received limited commentary.
One of these areas is local sports and today I would like to begin by looking at aspects of cricket in Guyana which I believe ought to be highlighted. In recent days the administration of cricket has been affected by a great amount of controversies and this is not going to be made any easier by the selection of the Guyana team to represent us in next year’s regional four-day competition.
I do not agree that only someone who has played cricket up to a certain level should be used to select a team. I myself have not played cricket at the national level. Neither has Adam Harris. But I do feel that both Adam and I know a great deal more about the talent that we have in this country and what needs to be done to ripen this talent than many of those who have represented their country and clubs at the highest levels.
I entirely therefore dismiss this nonsense that is being pedaled that the administration of cricket should be left to administrators and that the selection should be left to the technical staff.
I also do not believe that the person selected as captain for the Guyana team should have any say in the selection of the team. I believe that the captain should be selected at the same time as the team.
I recall distinctly two incidents in local cricket which destroyed the careers of two players. This happened because the captains had too much of a say in the selection of the final eleven. The first involved the selection of an overseas-based Guyanese over that of a top-class local batsman who had made a century in his previous match. The second involved the case of a West Indies Under-19 player who was bypassed for selection in the final eleven of the national team even though he was on the radar of the regional selectors. These were incidents that occurred decades ago but which have always suggested that the selectors need to make all selections, from the final 13 to the final eleven.
The Guyana selectors have made their choices for next year’s regional tournament. In fairness to the selectors, this was never going to be an easy team to select since there is so much talent available locally that picking a final thirteen will always involve controversial choices.
The selectors were also faced with another dilemma; how to treat with those players who may not have been considered to be the most talented but who have performed well in trials on pitches that were graveyards. The West Indies selectors have come in for criticism for picking players who many feel are not up to international standard but who have performed well at the regional tournament.
These selectors have to give opportunities to the top players in the regional tournaments since to do otherwise would discourage the persons playing in those tournaments. This is why players such as Brendon Nash have been selected to tour with the West Indies. The top performers in the regional tournament must be allowed a chance. This has always been the case even in the days of the all-powerful West Indies teams of the late seventies and eighties.
I therefore empathize with the local selectors knowing how difficult it is to select a final thirteen.  Certain principles should have governed the selection process. The first of these is that Guyana is in a rebuilding mode. The second is that we have to give exposure to the players who have done well at the Under-19 level and who are being looked at by the West Indies selectors. The third, I believe, is that there are players who have either performed well or are a class above all others who ought to make the team.
In regard to the latter, I was shocked to learn of the exclusion of Assad Fudadin. He was one of the best players on display in the recent regional one-day tournament. He is a class player and should have made the final thirteen.
The second omission is inexplicable. There is one player in Guyana who is a class above everyone else playing locally. This is a player who I believe can walk straight into the West Indies side. He is an imperious batsman and should have been selected automatically for Guyana. Those who saw him bat for Demerara in the final of the recent 20/20 Inter-County Pepsi competition were amazed by his audaciousness. This batsman is Gajanand Singh. I cannot understand how any selection panel could exclude this young player from their team. It is a shocking omission, because as far as I am concerned, he is the best local batsman.

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