Dear Editor,
The West Indies Cricket team’s performance in South Africa is indeed refreshing and exciting. It has made us, die hard West Indian fans, start dreaming of greater things to come in the near future. The team showed remarkable fighting qualities in the face of extreme adversity due to injuries. Their hostile fast bowling was a revelation as was the high quality of fielding and catching during the first two tests. It is my honest opinion that if Fidel Edwards wasn’t injured during the second test, West Indies would have won it also as they had the South Africans on the back foot.
While there were many positives to come out of the test series, there were also a number of glaring deficiencies. The manger, the esteemed Clive Lloyd, stated that we’re 2-3 good players away from making a really good team. He identified an opening batsman, a middle order batsman and a ‘decent left arm spinning allrounder’ as the main players needed to make a ‘really good team’.
I have been following the present Carib Beer Series with a great degree of interest in the hope of identifying some players to make up the remaining 2-3 payers that would constitute a ‘really good’ West Indies team. To my disappointment there haven’t been many new faces staking claims. The players making the headlines are those that have already worn West Indian colours. Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds and of course the legendary Brian Lara (who is obviously discounted due to his retirement).
But this is not all bad news, as the same ‘old’ West Indian players making the headlines are those that would fit ideally into the requirements outlined by Mr Lloyd. The additional bonus would be that they would already have had international exposure so that should enable them to make the team more competitive against the strong opposition, Sri Lanka and Australia, that would be coming to the Caribbean.
Wavell Hinds has always been, in my estimation, the second best opener available. While he may have technical deficiences (which present West Indian opener doesn’t have?), his positive no nonsnse approach and highly competitive instincts should automatically make him Gayle’s opening partner. The additional bonus is that Gayle seems to be a better opener when he bats with Hinds. Within recent years West Indies best opening partnerships have been between Gayle and Hinds. Then there is also Hinds’s golden arm and high quality short leg fielding. So he definitely brings a much needed all round variety to the team.
There is no need to describe Ramnaresh Sarwan. He’s the class act to further gloss the middle order. However, he needs to acknowledge that the team responded to Gayle’s captaincy more naturally and he needs to step aside and allow Gayle to continue. He will remain the vice captain. Like Marlon Samuels, during the recent test series, Sarwan needs to mature. He has to accept that the hook shot is not in his reportoire. If he does that, there is every possibility that he will become the best batsman of this generation.
Ryan Hinds is an enigma in much the same way as Marlon Samuels. He needs to be given another opportunity to showcase his talent. His presence brings a lot of variety to the team. He will be a high quality #6 batsman, who is very good at playing spin. He will also bring a ‘decent left arm spinner’ into the team. As the regional record shows, his left arm spin makes him a genuine all rounder. He needs to be `given an extended opportunity to prove himself. Who knows, in this new environment created in the West Indies team, he may finally prove his undoubted potential.
The rest of the West Indies team basically picks itself. So, for the upcoming home series the West Indies team should read:-
1) Chris Gayle – captain, opener and off spinner
2) Wavell Hinds – opener, ‘golden arm’ medium pacer
3) Ramnaresh Sarwan – middle order batsman, leg spinner
4) Marlon Samuels – middle order batsman, off spinner
5) Shivnarine Chanderpaul – middle order batsman, leg
spinner
6) Ryan Hinds – middle order batsman, left arm spinner
7) Dwayne Bravo – all rounder, Fast medium bowler
8) Denesh Ramdin – wicket keeper/batsman
9) Darren Powell – Fast Bowler
10) Jerome Taylor – Fast Bowler
11) Fidel Edwards – Fast Bowler
12) Runako Morton – middle order batsman
13) Adrian Barath/ Lendl Simmons – Opening batsman
14) Kemar Roach – Fast Bowler
15) Nelon Pascal – Fast Bowler.
For the reserves, the most promising opener would be Adrian Barath while Lendl Simmons is also a technically correct player. Both Kemar Roach and Nelon Pascal are very promising fast bowlers and should be given continued exposure. Runako Morton also needs to be continued with as he’s shown the fighting requirements needed to be a test player.
If the players identified above play to their abilities, then it should answer Mr Clive Lloyd’s requirements to making a truly competitive West Indies team. A closer look at the starting XI would also reveal another plus in that all eleven players are bowlers in some form or the other. That is most definitely an additional bonus to the captain.
The WICB needs to show some decisiveness in its management decisions. They need to immediately state that Chris Gayle will be the West Indies long term captain. It is hoped that this decision doesn’t cause any bickering among the member countries, especially Guyana. In the interest of West Indies cricket, Chris Gayle must be selcted as captain.
The board needs to identify venues that would support pace bowling as we’re starting to put together a really decent fast bowling attack. They should include Sabina Park, Kensington Oval and also ensure that all the curators adhere to preparing quick, decent pitches.
Hope this letter starts an enlightened debate among cricket fans.
Yours faithfully,
M. Abraham