Discarded West Indies left-arm spinner has once again lit a fire under the selectors’ chairs for a recall with an impressive run in the West Indies Championship.
The 30-year-old has taken 50 wickets, equalling his tally from the 2017/2018 season in the eight completed rounds, comfortably ahead of the next two highest wicket takers, Chemar Holder and Akeal Hosein who each have 36 wickets.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors spinner showed that he has regained peak form with a career-best eight for 18 and his best match haul of 15 for 77 against Jamaica Scorpions in the fifth round.
Permaul also holds the best average for any bowler with more than 20 wickets at an astonishing 12.98 and an economy rate of a fraction over two.
In fact, Permaul has consistently been at the pinnacle of the West Indies Championship bowling charts over the last six seasons where Guyana Jaguars have won five consecutive titles.
Last season the Albion Cricket Club spinner finished second with 42 wickets, while in the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 seasons he finished with 40 and 41 wickets respectively.
Now, with the last two matches of the season cancelled and Barbados Pride declared champions, he can no longer surpass his personal record of 67 wickets in a season that came in 2014/2015 season.
In his career, Permaul has taken 536 wickets from 121 matches at the first-class level, 18 of which came from his six matches at the Test level.
In addition to his half dozen Test appearances, he has played seven One Day Internationals as well. His most recent appearance in Maroon colours was his only T20I in 2018 when he was injured.
Since his recovery, the West Indies selectors have chosen a number of senior teams, ‘A’ Teams and even a ‘B’ teams with over 50 players being selected but Permaul continues to be overlooked.
With the Ricky Skerritt-led administration marking its first year in office this month, it is to be questioned if the new selection policy Skerritt promised has been implemented.
“There must be no reason for non-consideration other than cricket or medical or physical health. No administrative issues, politics or petty emotional situations must prohibit or prevent players from being considered for selection,” were the words of Cricket West Indies President, Skerritt.
In fact, Skerritt had reiterated a new selection policy featuring a six-prong criteria which were form and performance, team balance, mental capacity, technical ability and commitment.
The CWI boss should clearly spell out what is meant by bringing out the “best cricketers” if one of the most consistent performers cannot find a place in any of the teams selected to represent the Caribbean.