Why was Richard Kelly left out?

THE EDITOR: I can’t help but express my disgust with the Trinidad and Tobago selectors for not selecting Richard Kelly on the national cricket team for the just concluded Red Stripe Bowl competition in Jamaica. The explosive, hard-hitting all-rounder has been on the rise since he set the record for the most wickets, in the Regional Under 15 tournament in 1999. From the Under-15 level, he graduated to the Under-19 team, where he gave some creditable performances, which caught the attention of the public. However, it’s mind-boggling to think that he was never selected on the West Indies Under-19 team.

The hard-hitting Ceramic Merry Boys all-rounder represented our country at the first ever Double Wicket competition in St Kitts alongside Queen’s Park player Ricardo Paty. Competing against the best players in the region, Kelly powered our country into the finals with his aggressive batting and penetrating bowling. Though they lost in the finals, Kelly topped the betting average as he finished the tournament as the highest run scorer. In addition, he also had an impressive season in the Secondary Schools’ Cricket League earlier this year. One would assume with such performances his selection on the National Team for the Red Stripe Bowl competition would have been imminent. In closing, I would like to challenge the Trinidad and Tobago selectors to shed some light on the non-selection of this promising star player, for his fans would be very glad to know.

TERRY COX
Port-of-Spain