Windies ‘A’ teams play key role

AFTER four years in the wilderness following their last tour in 2002 to the England and Canada, the West Indies “A” team is back on the road. Daren Ganga, only the second player to captain the side in two series and the first to do so in consecutive tours, is leading the West Indies “A” team on their present tour of Sri Lanka. Since Guyana’s Faoud Bacchus led the first tour to Zimbabwe in 1981, the “A” team has played a key role in the development of West Indies cricket. The transition from regional First-Class to Test cricket is not easy and “A” tours provide players the opportunity to play as a West Indies side against quality opposition and to develop professionalism and responsibility from touring outside of the region as they prepare to represent the senior side in similar conditions.

A number of reasons, including lack of funds, has resulted in the halt to West Indies “A” team tours and this year Digicel have sponsored the West Indies “A” team in Sri Lanka embarking on the 13th “A” team series involving the Caribbean team. The “A” team gives players who have lost their place in the senior team a chance to force their way back while outstanding players from the regional youth system have an opportunity to stake a claim for senior team selection. Former test off-spinner Roger Harper and ex-West Indies senior team coach, was the West Indies “A” team skipper on their last tour to Sri Lanka in 1996. He feels that these tours are important for the players to understand what is expected of them at the highest level and to learn to compete in different conditions outside of the West Indies.

Harper lamented that too many players arrive at the highest level without fully understanding the basics of the game because they have been elevated to Test status without much proper First-Class experience. The “A” team tours provide this type of experience for the emerging players especially since there has been a decline in the standard of the regional competitions and most West Indians are pleased that the “A” team is back. Skipper Ganga said the current tour to Sri Lanka is important in many ways for the players since, with places up for grabs when the senior team arrives, it presents an opportunity for players who would not have been playing First-Class cricket at this time to do well enough to remain with the senior side.

He feels that it is a good thing for the players and West Indies cricket as a whole that the “A” side is also now sponsored and said he hoped that Digicel (also sponsors of the senior side) will continue their support and commitment towards the “A” team. “It is good to see that Digicel is not only concerned with the senior team but is helping at all levels. If we are to get back to the top of the schools’ cricket, the youth cricket — these are areas that need to be addressed,” Ganga stressed. Malcolm Marshall, Desmond Haynes and Jeffery Dujon were members of the first ever West Indies “A” team while Wayne Daniels, Augustine Logie and Bacchus were the other players on that 1981 tour to Zimbabwe who graduated to the Test arena.

Brian Lara (1989 to Zimbabwe) and Courtney Walsh (1992 England “A” to the West Indies) were past West Indies “A” team skippers who became record holders at the Test level. Looking to resurrect his Test career, Ganga would love to follow in their footsteps with an outstanding series both as captain and batsman for the 2005 Digicel West Indies “A” team to Sri Lanka.

West Indies “A” Team —   Captain’s Fact File.
Below are the names of the members of the first West Indies “A” team and the players who captained the “A” team from 1981 to 2005 in First-Class tours.
1981 team to Zimbabwe —  Faoud Bacchus (Capt), Desmond Haynes (v/capt), Timur Mohamed, Malcolm Marshall, Hartley Alleyne, Erza Moseley, Wayne Daniel, Augustine Logie, Harold Joseph, Mark Neita, Everton Mattis, Marlon Tucker, Jeffrey Dujon, Ignatius Cadette.