Dear Editor,
When India were reeling at 80 for 5 in reply to the W/Indies first innings score in the first test, the outcome of the match hung in the balance and could have gone W/Indies way. If only there was another quality bowler to back up Shillingford who was running riot. There is every chance that had Sunil Narine, our uniquely gifted ‘mystery’ spinner, been the bowler operating from the other end, it would have been a devastating spin combination which could have turned the game completely in W/Indies favour. And if the W/Indies had gained the upper hand from that Test match then certainly their confidence would have been up and they would have pushed for the series. There were also other moments during both matches where there was clear evidence that two high quality spinners would have bamboozled the Indian juggernaut.
As we once again wallow in pity over our shambolic performance in India (which incredibly resulted in an unchanged team heading to New Zealand), one can’t help but conclude that the main reason for our embarrassingly poor performance hinged on the selectors’ decision to omit Sunil Narine from the squad.
Sunil Narine’s ability is known the world over, to such an extent that he is the most sought after spinner in world cricket today. His returns in regional cricket are above all other spinners, Shillingford included. He is among the top bowlers in T20 and ODIs and his Test returns, though not as emphatic as his limited overs returns, are also solid.
So what really was the reason for Narine’s omission? This is a question that needs urgent answers. Was he omitted on grounds other than purely cricketing reasons?
Narine would walk into almost any Test-playing nation today (and so would the very unlucky Devindra Bishoo) yet we have arguably the weakest team of the major Test-playing nations and someone like Sunil Narine or Bishoo cannot even make the touring squad.
Many are saying that the West Indies players are of too poor quality to challenge the major Test teams. This may be true for the batting and pace bowling departments, but an area where we definitely are on par, or even better, than the other countries is in our spin department. Shillingford, Narine, Bishoo, Miller can walk into any test Team and be a success.
Despite clear evidence that we have spinners of quality, the selectors continue to try to fast forward fast bowlers who are clearly not up to international standards to the detriment of the spinners.
The time has come for the selectors to realize that our present quality rests in our spinners, and start picking two of them to complement two pacers and a pace-bowling all-rounder as the base of our bowling attack.
It is also time that the selectors groom specific players for positions that are most likely going to be available within the present team set-up. For example, it is no use carrying off spinners on A-Team tours when there is little or no chance of them usurping either Shillingford or Narine. It would be much better to open up a position to a left arm spinner and leg spinner since they would provide the spinning alternatives. The continued omission of Bishoo from even the A team set-up continues to mystify. How else can he rejuvenate his career if he is not given the opportunities?
Even on the fast-bowling front, some selection policies mystify. Miguel Cummins was recently in India and was the best fast bowler. Where is he now? Ronsford Beaton is our most exciting genuine fast-bowling prospect at present. Yet he was selected for the A Team ODI and omitted from the longer version. Certainly his selection should have been the other way around. What about Jason Holder, the giant Barbadian pacer creating waves in the IPL with his bounce, movement and control? Why can’t he make the A team? What about Delorn Johnson who shook up the India A team in the Caribbean recently? Why is he not being given greater exposure?
On the batting side, Darren Bravo has been struggling for runs. Why wasn’t he sent on the A-Team tour to regain some confidence? Alas, there is very little else of promise among our batsmen. Probably Craig Braithwaithe should also be included on tours as the other opener for exposure because the powers of the dominant Gayle are on the decline.
Our selectors have, and continue, to do a disservice to W/Indies cricket by selecting imbalanced teams and omitting the obvious talents while giving extended runs to others with considerably less ability. They are unwilling to make the hard decisions such as the captaincy, even though it is screaming for a change, and are unwilling to make punts on obvious rare talents such as Narine or even Beaton. However, this should not come as a surprise when one looks at the composition of the selection panel. They were all first-class bullies who dominated the regional scene without ever transferring their prowess to the international scene. Maybe it is within their psyche to think to a certain level, but they are unable to transfer to the highest level.
It is now time to revamp the entire selection panel and implement a team that would not be afraid to make the unpopular decisions, or who could spot a rare talent and make the brave decision to punt on him or ensure he is given the proper exposure. Personalities such as a Garner or a Richards or a Roberts or even a Lara, or other such strong personalities who know about winning and who can make a difficult decision without fear.
Many would say that our cricket is bereft of talent. But that is not entirely true. Talent exists but it is not being nurtured properly and the blame is mostly with the selectors who continue to fluff their lines. After the debacle in India, certainly some new blood was needed but the team was selected en masse for the New Zealand tour. Talk about reward for poor performance!
One only hopes the authorities are strong enough to make the tough decisions. Because every time we suffer another humiliation our cricket brand gets lower. Something needs to be done urgently to stop the rot. And it is not only the players who need to be put on notice!
Yours faithfully,
M Abraham
