Clive Lloyd’s formula has failed

Dec 16, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
In relation to Carl Parker’s letter (KN Dec 15), the WI test squad should have had a balance of youth and experience (inclusion of Shivnarine Chanderpaul who knows Aussie conditions more than anyone else with his several tours to lift the spirit of the younger players). With the embarrassing defeat at Hobart Oval last week in the first test (in two and a half days) and the disastrous performance in the warm up match that preceded it, is not time for the selectors of that squad to be questioned about their experiment of choosing youth over experience – so called Clive Lloyd model? Why is it that only management is being asked to account for its blunders? Is it not time that the selectors also be held accountable and perhaps forced into permanent retirement for sending that weak team to Australia and to Sri Lanka as well?
To say the squad, selected by the selection committee led by chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd, has been an abject failure is understating what really has been happening in Australia and in prior series. The team’s recent performance, inclusive of several who played in the three short series preceding the trip was depressing, pathetic, pitiful, and mediocre to describe it mildly. The team has been underperforming for the entire year and its meek submission in Hobart was not unexpected as I penned last week. The players were not even competitive and did not even attempt to put a fight in seven tests they played against England, Australia, and Sri Lanka since April and the latest one in Hobart. These are not players who fight tooth and nail for honor, respect and for nation. Virtually every player was lethargic and lackadaisical on the field at Hobart as though they were just going through the motions of passing time giving up the fight on day one accepting defeat as the ultimate outcome.
The squad badly lacked experience and most of the squad should be sacked along with coaches, selection panel and management. Lloyd should know that he can’t send an inexperienced team to Australia and expect wins; the team needs the very best and a balance of youth and experience. Lloyd’s team has no age or experience balance. So Lloyd’s model is bound to fail. With regards to age, it should be noted that Bobby Simpson was asked to come out of retirement to lead Australia to West Indies at age 45 in the last 1970s. Bevan Congdon led New Zealand into his 40s. Clive Lloyd led the team till past 42 when he was not even performing. So why is Chanders being excluded? Several other legends (Chanderpaul, Kallis, etc.) played into the 40s. Chanders has an opportunity to cross Brian Lara record. Lara said he is no problem with the record being broken. And records are made to be broken. Why should Lloyd have a problem with Chanders breaking Lara record? What good are the youths if they can’t perform and if they consistently fail?
The selection panel opted for youth over experience; they did not even opt for a balanced combination of youth and experience as previous selection committees did. The committee should have known that it can’t simply cut away Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Chanders from the squad without suffering serious consequences. Gayle and Bravo opted for 20/20. At least one (Chanders since he is available) should have been included in the team to buttress youth and inexperience. Chanders and the other two also would have provided guidance and psychological support to the youngsters.
Lloyd’s youths have failed miserably. Should he not accept responsibility and do the honorable thing that Caricom governments have been asking of the management – step aside? Lloyd’s formula of youth, as used by the management after the sacking of Rohan Kanhai in 1974 and that worked somewhat during the late 1970s and 1980s, has not worked out over the last year. Lloyd and his selection committee should have the maturity to acknowledge that their model of selection formula (of youth over experience) has failed and tender their resign. If they are unwilling to resign, the WI management should rescind their appointment. The selection panel has an opportunity to redeem themselves after sacking Chanders and recall him. They said they wanted to send Chanders out in grace. With that heavy defeat last week, the management and selection panel have a second opportunity to redeem themselves – recall Chanders and then resign from management and the selection panel.
Vishnu Bisram

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