“Players who could be possibilities for West Indies honours against Ireland and England”

Feb 09, 2014 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
While Nagico 50-overs West Indies tournament 2014 has been positive for our cricket, as it is really needed at this time, it has also been a disappointment in two very important ways.

Firstly, the tournament is much too truncated.  Any team could only have played a maximum of three games in the preliminary stages, and may only have gotten two additional games if that team progressed to the final.  That is certainly not enough cricket for a tournament that precedes our international season.
Staging tournaments depends on sponsorship and financing available.  Last year, the parallel competition was such that each team played against all other teams in a round-robin format, which helped with cricketing production and form, as batsmen and bowlers settled down for the long haul.
Also, many would remind that, as recently as 1990’s, most West Indian cricketers who did not play for English counties also only played in four or five 4-day games and five one-day games in Caribbean seasons.
Yet, West Indies did manage, in that time, to beat the rest of the cricket world; a much different time!
The WI team that played that last 50-overs game in New Zealand, a winning effort, to tie that series 2-2, was as follows:  Kieran Powell, Johnson Charles, Kirk Edwards, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Chadwick Walton, Denesh Ramdin, Sunil Narine, Jason Holder and Nikita Miller.
Simmons, Bravo, Ramdin, Narine, Holder and Miller have distinguished themselves so far this competition.
Secondly, because of several injuries, the tournament has been robbed of many of our recent stalwarts and stars, players whom West Indies have come, over recent series, to depend on.  Chris Gayle, Kemar Roach, Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels and Darren Sammy are all injured out of their respective teams.
Then, as if that was not enough, and with so much cricket to come in 2014, players who have been recognized to be good enough to play recently for WI have struggled to make any mark what-so-ever.

Darren Bravo, Adrian Barath, Johnson Charles, Andre Russell, Andre Fletcher, Nkrumah Bonner, Chadwick Walton, Narsingh Deonarine, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul and Kieran Powell, to name a few of recent WI players in this 50-overs tournament, have failed to fire properly.
Kirk Edwards has had a problem with Barbados Cricket Association and was sent home for supposed insubordination.  Who knows what will happen to him for both Barbados and West Indies.
So, that brings us to those players who could be considered for the series against Ireland, later this month, in Jamaica – two T-20’s and one ODI – and against England, later in February and March, featuring three ODI’s in Antigua & Barbuda and three T-20’s in Barbados.
Andre McCarthy, the tall Jamaican middle-order batsman, who looked so organized for his 93 against Windward Islands, could be one of those.  So too could Windward Islands’ Keddy Lesporis, whose excellent 100no against Jamaica was classical, even though in a losing effort.
Delorn Johnson has done good work for Windward Islands, but his fitness will have to improve much.
Ramnaresh Sarwan, veteran Guyanese batsman, looked good after tentative starts, and has impressed with diligence and consistency.  If West Indies selectors will call him back is a very different question.
Leon Johnson, who looks more like Brian Lara than even Darren Bravo, has been around for Guyana for some time, but has only now looked as assured and confident as his experiences should have allowed.
Shiv Chanderpaul should be playing in WI ODI teams.  How does one not select the best batsman in the Caribbean, one who is vastly experienced, with more than twenty years and eons of runs as proof?
Young Ronsford Beaton has impressed all with his pace, but his stamina and fitness would have to improve immeasurably if he wants to be a regular member of any team that represents West Indies in the future.
Paul Wintz has improved, but at 27, he needs to make massive strides quickly to be included immediately, while his captain, Christopher Barnwell, must take more responsibility for his performances.

Kyle Corbin and Kyle Mayers, both Barbadians, but who play for Combined Campuses and Colleges, have been excellent contributors to their team’s efforts to date.  They need more consistency in the near future.
Jason Holder looked organized as a fast bowler for Barbados, while team-mate Jonathan Carter must be included in the next set of probable players for senior West Indies honors, so stunningly explosive he is.  His century against Trinidad & Tobago will be talked about for much longer.
Denesh Ramdin, one of the few successes that WI has had in recent tours, has looked more complete as wicket-keeper-batsman over the last year than any time in his career.
Dwayne Bravo has been touted as an all-around WI captain.  That is still to be seen, but his all-around cricket is always pulsating, sometimes mesmerizing.  He must always be a certainty if fit.
Sunil Narine has confused everyone everywhere, so his is No. 1 selection in any WI team.
So, there it is, possible, probable players for our upcoming tours.  I hope they work well!  Enjoy!

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