“Successes, failures and selections for West Indies!”

Apr 29, 2012 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft

Last week, before West Indies squad to tour England was published, I was asked by present employer,

British Sky Sports Television, to select a squad whom I thought would start England’s Summer of Cricket.  I did not do badly, missing only three names from that 15 named.  Most picked themselves!
Darren Sammy, given circumstances and his own production, was always going to be continued as captain.  Problems might come when all players now at Indian Premier League (IPL), including Chris Gayle, become available, for, due to rather fortunate scheduling, New Zealand, who will tour next.
Kirk Edwards is West Indies best batsman after Shiv Chanderpaul.  He has already shown in his short but mature cricketing life that he has tools to think the game through, putting premiums on batsmanship and wicket.  That he has been made vice-captain tells much that he has become so very valuable!
I did select Adrian Barath too, but he is extremely fortunate.  Of West Indies players against Australia, he was the most overwhelming, abject, disappointing failure of all.  41, 42, 22, 2, 7, 5, 29, 0; two ODI’s and three Tests – eight innings; aggregate only 148 – is dire poverty indeed, especially for an opener!  Worst, he averaged only 10.83 runs in three Tests!
Barath should also always remember Sir Everton Weekes’s adage:  “If you do not want to be caught, then do not hit the ball in the air!”  Barath is only re-selected because other openers have been even more dismal.  Ottis Gibson must utter ultimatums to Barath too, reminding him that looking stupid, standing at the crease, after being caught at square-leg, does not count!
Someone must get hold of Barath and teach him how to bat properly.  No-one can hit the ball that often in the air and expect to be successful.  Case in point, try Ian Botham, former England all-rounder.  He did the same, normally, and averaged 18 in Tests played against West Indies!  Barath is quite fortunate that West Indies cricket reserves are so poor.  In 1970’s and 1980’s, he would be gone!
Darren Bravo was a great disappointment too.  Overall standards make him a standout, but he too failed badly against Australia.  4, 16, 0, 25, 3, 12, 51, 32, 38, 8*, 10, 45; five ODI’s, one T-20, three Tests – twelve innings; aggregate 244 – might satisfy insular idiots, but this is very putrid for any team’s premier batsman.  Well might he suggest that he must make learning from Chanderpaul priority, maybe reality!
I have seen more international cricket than most, since 1965.  There is no doubt that Darren Bravo has tremendous talent, even if I have never at all equated him to Brian Lara, but Darren seems to lapse into opaque trances while at the crease, seeming to lose focus and concentration when they matter most!
As I have said often, many of our young cricketers do not really need coaches.  They have natural tools to succeed.  They need psychologists, perhaps, even psychiatrists.  Those “mind engineers” have been known to have corrected fetishes and other illnesses, so enhancing cricketing ability would be a breeze!
My only suggestion on Chanderpaul is that I am extremely proud to have been his fore-runner, in Test cricket, from Unity-Lancaster village.  More particularly, his father and uncle – “Cow-Fly” and “Bun” to all who know them, and who both played for Guyana – should be so proud that their off-spring could get to 10,000+ Test runs, and still simply be “the best” that West Indies has.  What an honour that is for “Tiger!

Narsingh Deonarine was a revelation.  Give credit to Gibson for lighting a fire under Deonarine’s back-side.  Like Hillary “Larry” Gomes, Collis King or Clive Lloyd, Deonarine now knows his limitations, and, like those successful ones named, played well within them.  Knowing one’s game well is half of the battle!
Deonarine measured up okay and deserves continuity, even as Marlon Samuels also returns.  I had not selected Samuels, as I had Chris Gayle instead, on the misunderstanding that only Gayle and not Samuels too, would have been available for some of the Test series in England.
I was quite disappointed that Fidel Edwards was not at his best against the Aussies.  None of their batsmen, except wicket-keeper Matt Wade, made a century, only in Test No. 3, when Edwards was out, injured.  The recent Australians were more swag, and late bravado, than substance.  It would have been tremendously heart-warming to see Edwards and Kemar Roach operation at full throttle against them!
I did not select Assad Fudadin in my 15 to England, but had Devendra Bishoo instead.  I can understand and appreciate that message Clyde Butts and selectors have sent to Bishoo – “Go back to West Indies “A”, regain your spinning ability and confidence!”
Meanwhile, Fudadin has done all-around well enough recently for Guyana.  His uncle, Alvin Kallicharran, would certainly be keeping a keen eye on him too!
Like Fudadin, Shannon Gabriel was a surprise to me.  I thought that West Indies selectors would wait to give him a Test outing later this year against Bangladesh, but nothing is wrong with this selection at all.  He gets a grand 24th birthday gift – 28 April, 1988 – and West Indies fast bowling needs help badly!
Michael Holding (2 First Class), Colin Croft (3 First Class), Joel Garner (2 First Class), were very inexperienced when each playing first ever Test.  Gabriel, who brings Ian Bishop to mind, already has 28 First Class games.  He must note that quartet has 794 Test wickets between them!  What an objective!
With Barath, Darren Bravo, Fudadin, Gabriel and Kemar Roach, Kieran Powell is also in the “futures brigade.”  His elegance reminds of England’s David Gower.  He could have worse examples than DG to follow; many masterful innings against West Indies’s best, in several battles, none better than 154 no, against Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Colin Croft, at Sabina Park, Jamaica; 1981!
Kemar Roach was “Colossus of the Caribbean” against Australia in three Tests.  Many have already liked him to “Macco” Marshall, but Roach needs real help, ASAP!  It would really be massively pleasing if Edwards, Gabriel and Roach are fit and firing fully, come Test No. 1, Lords, May 17 next.  Just short of his 24th birthday too, Roach bowled magnificently – 19 wickets at a parsimonious 19.73 v Australia!
Denesh Ramdin was unfortunate to have injuries just as he was coming back to batting form, before West Indies v Australia.  His batting has helped him with this selection too, as Carton Baugh, while ’keeping relatively well, was absolutely atrocious batting against Australia.
Ravi Rampaul played only Test No. 3.  The jury is still out on form and especially fitness.  He will have to shape up for England, for he never left the ground at all in his delivery strides in that Test.  For someone who was supposedly ill, allowing him to miss most of Australia’s tour, Rampaul looked as fat as a fowl!
“Spindly” Shane Shillingford was excellent.  That 10 wickets haul, 1st since “Tooth Pick” Lance Gibbs’, 1966, Old Trafford, was the result of good bowling and perseveration.
England will be interesting for West Indies.  Who knows, they may even win the Test series!  Enjoy!

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