WI selectors doing a great job

No job is ever easy. But perhaps in the West Indies, there is none more difficult than being captain. Well except one, perhaps, being a West Indian selector, especially when the team is losing. People are always quick to make changes, to omit those who have disappointed with either bat or ball and when the selector does not appear to heed suggestions, then he must go as well. The current selectorial team which consists of some of the great minds in West Indies cricket, have yet again had to face the wrath of a West Indian public and media after the regional team’s recent lacklustre performance against England. In that regard, it is time to be fair to these three men, who have had the unenviable job, over the last two years of selecting a team which matched up with the likes of both Australia and South Africa, the two best teams in the world, and now England, the third best team according to the latest PriceWaterhouseCoopers ratings.

Needless to say, as West Indians, we did not care about the opponents; we wanted success at all costs. What was especially difficult for the public were desperate performances of the West Indies team especially  with the bat, when they seemed to do everything in their collective powers to be dismissed cheaply. As for the bowlers, the lack of effort among some, caused many spectators to ask the question — Were these men really being paid to perform? Or just there to collect a fat salary and drive away in luxury? But, it is time to be honest to ourselves and ask: If anyone could have done better than Sir Vivian Richards (chairman), Gordon Greenidge and Michael “Joey” Carew, speak up now. These are all former outstanding players with great cricketing minds and flawless track records.

No one will ever argue about the way “Joey” Carew continues to impart his knowledge on anyone who cares to listen. And herein lies the problem, because apart from the captain and a few senior players, a lot of the others have found it hard to learn to project the pride of being a West Indian cricketer. They seem not to listen to their elders and worse, ignore the plaintive cries of the West Indian public. Sir Vivian Richards as a coach, has experienced the “don’t care” attitude of some, the party inclination of others and the downright selfishness of several. It would have been the easy thing for all three men to raise their hands and surrender. But these honourable men who care about WI cricket with a passion would rather die than succumb to mediocrity.

For the last two years, we have not really been able to say that a player should have been selected, because by performance and ability, cricketers were chosen repeatedly even after they failed. This time around, the three wise men, Richards, Carew and Greenidge have refused to follow the normal procedure and rejected some of the veterans who made loads of runs. Among them were Stuart Williams, Junior Murray, Courtney Browne and Sherwin Campbell cast aside for the sake of others who showed promise and potential. None more so than runaway fast bowler Fidel Edwards, who was unknown to many except Lara and Sir Viv. And we must not forget this piece of selectorial genius.

It takes a team to function and the selection committee must be complimented for working on a consensus basis and for standing by their decisions. We have to also say, that Dwayne Smith was also a good decision, even if he clearly has some lessons to learn. And while not yet confirmed, there is clear evidence that the recall of Ricardo Powell to the West Indies Test team, is a step in the right direction. He needs more chances to excel though and I am certain he will get it in time. What we need now in West Indies cricket is continuity as there as too much chopping and changing will serve no purpose. We need to re-establish trust in the West Indies team and now is the time.

Brian Lara’s world record 400 has united the region. We also have a new manager in Tony Howard who is a professional, polished and determined to attain excellence. He must be given a full contract, because the signs are there, that this gentleman has the respect of a lot of the team. Lara is very close to the selectors and is a captain who understands the men who sit and work with him in the interest of West Indies cricket. This has to be very good for the game. Let us not erode that determination and focus by petty divisions and jealousy. Sir Viv and Greendige had a lot of pride when they wore the maroon cap, and it is clearly no different now. Carew is the wise elder statesman, the man with a ton of cricketing acumen.

We must not lose any of this team now. We must stand together and forget about who is from what country; we must try to think as one, we must bat, as  Ramnaresh Sarwan batted with Lara, as Powell batted with Lara, as Ryan Hinds batted with Lara and finally as Ridley Jabobs stayed to the end with his captain. The question though is: Can the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to a man, be honest with themselves and make a decision for the people and cricket and not for any other reason? Let us all hope that good sense will prevail.