The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) said yesterday it was displeased and disappointed in the fact that no Guyanese player has been selected on the West Indies teams to face Ireland in ODI and T20 matches and wants an explanation from the West Indies Cricket Board selection committee. The West Indies Cricket Board’s selection panel recently named separate squads for the upcoming matches against Ireland but despite the fact that Guyana reached the final of the last regional T20 and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) competitions and the semifinals of this year’s NAGICO One-Day tournament no Guyanese player found favour with the selectors.
The GCB yesterday stated that they will be dispatching a letter shortly to this effect to the WICB.
Yesterday the GCB issued a press release in which it expressed “Extreme regret” with the situation.
In the release it was pointed out that two Guyanese batsmen were among the top five in terms of runs aggregate at the conclusion of the tournament.
Following is the release:
“The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) wishes to express its extreme regret at the selection choices of the selection panel with the teams selected to represent the West Indies during the upcoming tour of Ireland.
The GCB notes with serious concern the non- selection of any Guyanese, whatsoever, to these teams selected by the selection panel. Whilst the GCB does not subscribe to a quota system for selection, we strongly feel that players should be selected based on merit and performance. In this regard, it is indeed mind boggling that the selectors felt that Christopher Barnwell, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shiv Chanderpaul, Leon Johnson, Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo and Ronsford Beaton were not considered worthy of selection for any of the teams announced.
The Regional tournaments are usually the yardstick used to select representative teams for the West Indies. Two of the above batsmen made it into the top five run aggregates for the Nagico Super 50 tournament just completed even though these players did not play all of the matches, and we find it rather difficult to reconcile the thought process of our selection panel. The GCB wishes to record its extreme displeasure and loss of confidence in the selection panel and would like an explanation as to why these players were not selected. The Guyanese public is justifiably peeved at the treatment meted out to its players by this panel and call on the WICB to investigate this situation immediately.” Ireland will play two T20I and a ODI from today at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica.
