MIAMI, (Reuters) – The West Indies have dropped experienced batting trio Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan for the upcoming one-day internationals against Pakistan.
A statement from the West Indies Cricket Board said the trio had been left out of squad for the opening two games in the five match series as part of a policy to encourage the development of younger players.
The move comes after widespread disappointment with the displays from senior players during the recent World Cup, where West Indies again failed to impress.
Nonetheless, the dropping of three former captains who have made up the bulk of the Caribbean runmaking in the past five years is a drastic move.
Jamaican Gayle is 31, Sarwan is 30 and fellow Guyanese Chanderpaul is 36.
Ernest Hilaire, chief executive of the board, said the aim was to bring in players who could improve on the disappointing World Cup campaign which ended with a quarter-final defeat to Pakistan.
“With a view to the stated goal of winning the 2015 Cricket World Cup, in the 2011-2012 phase the Selection Committee will expose players to international cricket who could potentially play a vital role in the 2015 Cricket World Cup campaign,” Hilaire said.
Antiguan leg spinner Anthony Martin is the only uncapped player named in the squad for the opening two games against the touring Pakistanis in St Lucia.
Marlon Samuels, the 30-year-old Jamaican batsman, is named in the ODI squad for the first time since serving a two-year international ban for passing on team information to an Indian bookmaker.
Among the players who will have a chance against the Pakistanis are Barbadian batsman Kirk Edwards, Guyanese leg spinner Devendra Bishoo and Trinidad opening batsman Lendl Simmons.
Trinidad all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has recovered from the knee injury he sustained in the recent World Cup and returns to the squad — he will be vice-captain to skipper Darren Sammy.
After a Twenty20 game on April 21, the opening ODI games in St.Lucia take place on April 23 and 25 before two games in Barbados and the final ODI encounter in Guyana.
The teams will also face off in two test matches in May in Guyana and St.Kitts before West Indies host world champions India for a single Twenty20, five ODIs, and a three test series.
West Indies squad for first two ODI games v Pakistan: Darren Sammy (captain), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain),Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kirk Edwards, Anthony Martin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Devon Thomas.
And in a statement this evening, WICB CEO Dr. Ernest Hilaire explained that the WICB remains focussed on the policy of building a new team for the future.
“With a view to the stated goal of winning the 2015 Cricket World Cup, in
the 2011-2012 phase the Selection Committee will expose players to
international cricket who could potentially play a vital role in the 2015
Cricket World Cup campaign,” Dr. Hilaire said.
Chairman of Selectors Clyde Butts commented: “We have looked at a mix of
players who will take us through the next 5 to 10 years and with this squad we have put together a youthful but exciting combination of exceptionally talented cricketers who we believe can win matches.”
“There are some familiar faces who have not been included on this occasion, but we have already identified the core of players who we will build the team around, however the time has come for us to introduce a fresh crop of players who we believe has a deep desire to excel and who can be tested at the international level,” Butts added.
“We have already seen players like Kemar Roach, Darren Bravo, Andre Russell and Devendra Bishoo performing impressively on the international stage, and we believe that players like Edwards and Martin can step up similarly,” Butts said.
The WICB statement said that as previously outlined by the CEO, Dr. Ernest Hilaire, the WICB had reached out to players who had not taken up retainer contract offers. Fruitful discussions were had with Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard.
With an appreciation to the rapidly evolving nature of international and
domestic cricket and the need for players to benefit both in their
professional development and having a level of financial security practical decisions were taken.
It was mutually determined that Pollard would be best served by being
allowed to hone his T20 skills in the Indian Premier League which will bring future benefit to West Indies cricket. He will not play in the Digicel Series v Pakistan but remains committed to West Indies cricket and will be available for future selection to the West Indies team in all formats.
Dwayne Bravo, who is also contracted to an IPL franchise, will play in the Digicel One Day Series v Pakistan but will miss the two Digicel Tests v Pakistan in order to participate in the IPL. Like Pollard, Bravo also
remains committed to West Indies cricket and will be available for future
selection to the West Indies team in all formats.
Consistent with the policy to expose young players, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan were not selected.
Adrian Barath has not yet attained a level of satisfactory fitness and was not considered for selection.
