Dear Editor,
Having read the excellent letter by Denis Benn on the Chanderpaul issue which was recently published in your newspaper, I feel compelled to join the debate on the future of West Indies cricket.
Both the Chairman of Selectors and the Coach assured us that they would select a team that could compete effectively against Australia, so much so that the legendary Shiv Chanderpaul was omitted on the grounds that he was not good enough to meet the high standard of the team. As it turned out, the team was demolished by Australia in both Tests and, quite frankly, was a huge embarrassment to the people of the Caribbean. Equally disturbing, is the fact that I saw no real prospects of future greatness in any of the players selected.
The debacle raises serious questions about the vision and judgement of the selectors and coach of the team, who must be held accountable. As far as I am aware, there has been no statement from the Chairman of Selectors or the Coach explaining the dismal performance of the team, in noticeable contrast to the very public statements the Chairman of Selectors and the Coach were so quick to make in seeking to justify Chanderpaul’s exclusion.
I fear that, based on the performance of the selectors and the Coach, West Indies cricket is likely to descend to a new low, from which it is unlikely to recover.
I trust therefore that the selectors and the Coach, who have already incurred the wrath of the West Indian cricketing public for their callous exclusion of Chanderpaul from the team, will be held accountable by the WICB and removed forthwith, if there is no dramatic improvement in the performance of the team in the very near future.
Yours faithfully,
John Graham
New York