Asks Tony Cozier
Chris Gayle’s emergency call last week to return to Kingston to be with his ill mother immediately threw the balance of his West Indies team out of skelter and highlighted a glaring flaw in the otherwise predictable selection of the squad of 15.
Whether he returns by Thursday in time for the first Test or not, the choice of Gayle and Adrian Barath, a 19-year-old yet to play international cricket, as the only openers is not easily explained.
It meant that, should either be eliminated – by injury, by loss of form or by unusual circumstance, as in Gayle’s case – a batsman with no experience in the position would have to be used.
Travis Dowlin, Guyana’s usual No.5 with very limited experience of going in first, was given that role against Queensland last week, as he presumably will be in Gayle doesn’t make it back to Australia.
It is not to say that Clyde Butts and his panel were unaware that Australia’s attack, even in the absence of Brett Lee, will be based around fast bowling. They surely followed the Ashes series in the summer.
Lendl Simmons is not highly recommended by his record but he is an opener by upbringing, nurtured through Under-19 and ‘A’ teams to graduate to Test level which he did earlier this year. He can also keep wicket and bowl useful medium-pace in a pinch and is a brilliant fielder.
So why is he not in Australia? It’s not a question logically answered.