Former West Indies batsman, Philo Wallace, has expressed his approval with the selection of Veerasammy Permaul as the front-line spinner in the West Indies Test squad to face England next month while calling on vice-captain, Jermaine Blackwood, to show more responsibility.
Wallace was at the time appearing on Barbados radio programme, Mason and Guest.
The squad includes Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Blackwood (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales.
“I’m glad for Permaul as well… He has been dominating our first-class cricket and hasn’t been given the chance. We talk about picking horses for courses, he’s been to Sri Lanka and done well there and is given the opportunity to be the lone spinner in this squad… leap frogged [Rahkeem Cornwall] and [Jomel] Warrican,” Wallace reasoned.
The 32-year-old left-arm spinner made his return to Test cricket after six years and picked up his best bowling figures of 8/141 against Sri Lanka to compliment his dominance in first-class cricket where he has 552 wickets from 124 matches.
Meanwhile, Wallace was hopeful Blackwood could exemplify more responsibilities, having shown glimpses of it in recent times.
He said, “When you look at it, Blackwood has been tied
again as vice-captain… I would hope to see more responsibility from Jermaine Blackwood, we saw a bit of it in the second innings against Barbados but you are still seeing that dash which sometimes you wonder why… hopefully he can tighten up a bit more and play that more responsible role he should be playing within that middle order.”
Since the right hander was recalled in 2019, his average moved from 24.5 in 2017 to 38 in 2019 and 42.7 in 2020. However, in 2021, in 20 innings he averaged 24.4 with two half centuries.
The 51-year-old Bajan, Wallace, noted that he was also happy with the selection of Brooks who will complement the middle order but at 33, he contended Brooks will need to grab the opportunity with both hands.
“I was happy to see Shamarh Brooks back in the side… he needs to make use of the opportunity now, grab it with both hands and run with it in the starting XI, he knows what he has to do, I don’t think anyone could tell him at the age he is at, obviously he has been around,” Wallace opined.
