ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Former Windward Islands batsman Miles Bascombe has been appointed to the men’s senior selection panel, which will be headed up by former West Indies off-spinner and head coach, Roger Harper.
Bascombe, who has never held a senior selection post previously, was a surprise choice announced by Cricket West Indies yesterday to serve on the high profile three-man committee, which also comprises Phil Simmons, the new men’s head coach.
Bascombe played a single T20 International eight years against England, in a weakened West Indies squad that drew a two-match series in London.
And his 24-match first class career was largely a tepid one, petering out following the 2017 season when he played just two matches with little success for Volcanoes.
Significantly, Bascombe was a member of the recent CWI Selection System Task Force, which was chaired by fellow Vincentian and CWI vice-president Dr Kishore Shallow, and charged with overhauling regional selection policy.
The 33-year-old, a University of the West Indies graduate, serves as first vice-president of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association which is headed by Shallow.
Former international cricketer, Ann Browne-John, will meanwhile serve as chief selector for the women’s panel, along with former West Indies batsman, Travis Dowlin, with the head coach complementing the three-member committee.
Jamaican Robert Haynes, recently the interim chairman of selectors, will serve as talent ID manager for the boys’ panel.
“We have been delighted at the interest and quality of candidates who participated in the recruitment process to fill the roles for the selection panels,” said Shallow, who chaired the panel interviewing candidates.
“These roles are vital to execute the new selection policy to select squads for the West Indies teams at every level. We wish the selectors every success as they commence work immediately.”
Harper, who played 25 Tests and 105 One-Day Internationals, comes highly recommended after also having served as West Indies head coach between 2000 and 2003.
His first job will be to select the squad which will face Afghanistan in three T20 Internationals, three ODIs and a one-off Test from November 5 to December 1 in India.
Browne-John, recently the interim manager/selector for the women’s unit, will also sit down shortly with Dowlin, who in the past has served on the men’s senior panel, to decide on a squad for India Women’s tour of the Caribbean beginning November 1.
According to CWI, 18 candidates were interviewed for the post of selectors across the three panels before a shortlist of 10 was arrived at.
Director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, said he believed the move to use three different panels to address selection of the various West Indies representative teams, would pay dividends.
“After a comprehensive revamp of our selection system including the introduction of separate panels, I am confident that our ability to identify and manage talent will be enhanced,” he noted.
“I have all confidence that the new system, along with the selectors chosen to the various panels will continue to help drive our game in this critical area.”
The men’s squads for the Afghanistan tour will be named today.