Butts says Sarwan injury free and fit again

Jan 20, 2011 Sports

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Clyde Butts (centre) talks to the media on the composition of the Windies team for the World Cup.

By Sean Devers
in Barbados
In association with
Digicel, Carib Beer,
Leisure Inn, GSL,
Queensway & Dave’s
West Indian Imports (NY)

It was announced yesterday that out of favour Guyana Captain, 30-year-old Ramnaresh Sarwan, was re-called for the World Cup after being ignored for the last Sri Lanka series due to fitness issues while there was no place for Jamaican Marlon Samuels.
Chairman of the West Indies Selectors, the 53-year-old former Guyana and West Indies off-spinner Clyde Butts explained that Sarwan, who last played for the West Indies in June against South Africa, was not picked for Sri Lanka because of fitness concerns since he was just coming back into cricket and had not played as much cricket as the selectors would have liked.
“Sarwan is now injury free and looking very fit…you can actually see it. He has played 3 tournaments and has not gotten injured and to our minds he is ready to be back,” Butts, who played 7 Tests between 1985 and 1988, informed.
Butts, a Regional selector since 2006 and chairman for the past two terms, said that a fitness report on Sarwan from the Technical Director of the Guyana Cricket Board and the fitness trainer working with the Guyana T20 team, was seen by him while he disclosed that he had personality attended Guyana’s training sessions and was satisfied with Sarwan’s physical improvement.
Butts, who took 348 wickets from 87 First-Class wickets between 1980 and 1994, admitted that no fitness test was done on Sarwan before his non selection and added that while a fitness test was planned for the former Skipper before the 15-man World Cup squad was named, this was not possible due to the recent hectic regional cricket schedule.
No Vice Captain was named and Imran Khan, the WICB’s Corporate Communications Officer, informed that even though Sarwan, who has played 83 Tests and 153 ODIs since his International debut 11 years ago, was now back in the team, he will only be paid tour and match fees since the next set of WICB contracts will not be issued until September 2011.
While Butts said the selectors could have gone ‘outside’ the 30-man squad to select the 15 for the World Cup, the 30-year-old Samuels, who last played an International match on April 15, 2008 and returned from a two-year ban in last November’s Regional 50-over competition in Jamaica, was not selected.
“Marlon is a very talented player and once he can continue to score runs he defiantly still has a future in West Indies cricket. But he’s just coming back into cricket and broke down in the 50-over tournament and I don’t think we should want to rush him back into the international level,” Butts said of the right-hander who has 29 Tests and 107 ODIs and scored an explosive 45 in Jamaica’s last T20 match on Wednesday.
Butts, one of the few persons in the region with a comprehensive knowledge of regional players at all levels, said that the WICB had ‘no issues’ with the Bajan pair of Ryan Hinds and Tino Best who both performed well in the last Regional 50-over competition.
“Yes, they performed well but it would have been difficult to leave out any of the fast bowlers selected to accommodate Best while Hinds bowled well but he is a batting all-rounder and in our (selectors) minds did not do enough with the bat while as a left-arm spinner he cannot be considered better than Suleiman Benn and Nikita Miller who were both selected,” Butts explained.
Butts explained that he and Coach Otis Gibson had a long chat with Hinds in Jamaica and we shared a lot and he was very cooperative and seemed to understand what was required.
Selector Robert Haynes and Courtney Browne were also present and Haynes, a former Jamaica and West Indies leg-spinner explained that Ravi Rampaul was chosen despite his expensive spells in the 4 ODIs against South Africa, he was among the top performers in recent times. Haynes added that the selectors believed in giving players a fair run and like Butts said that Best has improved and still has a role to play in West Indies cricket once he can show consistency.
“Its important to identify players for down the road and although we are going out to win we are in the rebuilding stage and have to also look at maybe the next World Cup and give the promising youngsters like Adrian Barath, Daren Bravo and Devon Thomas a chance at International exposure so that when some of the senior guys go we will still have a strong side as the youngsters come through,” Haynes added.
It was disclosed that Best, Kirk Edwards and Thomas were the three reserves but Butts explained that if a player is injured the selectors can go outside of the reserves to fill the breach.
Butts also said that Trinidadian Lendl Simmons, who was also ignored, was still in the picture but need to work on off the field shortcomings.
“He got a bad report from the Australia series which suggested he needs help and I hope to speak with him shortly. I had asked to meet with him before, but he apparently ignored the request” Butts pointed out.
The West Indies play three ODIs in Sri Lanka before participating in two World Cup warm-up games in Sri Lanka against Kenya (Feb 12) and Sri Lanka (Feb 16). They face South Africa in their opening world Cup match on Feb 24 in New Delhi.

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