Dear Editor,
It is becoming increasingly obvious that international cricket needs a separation of powers to maintain consistency, supremacy and durability. The West Indies selectors had given WI Captain Darren Sammy a rest from the beginning of the Zimbabwean tour, stating that he had played continually in all three formats of the game without a break. This is an understatement given the limitations of Sammy and the recognition that the more successful teams such as South Africa, Australia and England had long accepted the need to have separate captains for the different formats of the game. When WI Coach Otis Gibson announced that Shivnarine Chanderpaul would no longer be considered for the shorter form of the game, I considered it to mean that he is not fast scoring and that his age was a factor, although he is the WI’s most consistent batsman. Yet the current captain continues to create a significant imbalance in the Test team because he is not a genuine all-rounder such as Jacques Kallis, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Johnson or Chris Broad. His presence is at the expense of more worthy contenders and will continue to pose headaches for the selectors as he contritely admitted. Amusingly Gibson had also intimated that even Ramnaresh Sarwan cannot find a place in the batting order, though Sammy will have to strengthen an otherwise shortened middle-order. Such a combination will fail consistently against more potent opposition.
It is therefore to the team’s benefit that there should be two separate captains for both the Test and limited overs teams. I believe that Sammy will fit perfectly into the latter where his exploits have been of more significance to the team. The WICB should recognize global trends and appreciate the need for reforms in a timelier manner. There was reluctance on the part of the WICB to hire a foreign coach, and they only conceded long after most of the other countries had been recruiting foreign experts. This stance failed repeatedly (in Test matches) given that Sammy is the de facto leader in all versions of the game. The time is therefore opportune for the WICB to recognize its dilemma, especially with the elections due on March 27th, 2013 where Barbadian Joel Garner will be vying for the vice-presidency. He knows about genuine fast bowlers and bowling to a quality batsman, as he did this throughout his illustrious career playing for the West Indies. Unfortunately Darren Sammy cannot be considered in either category and should be relieved of the Test captaincy and ultimately from the longer version of the game so that the WI will have better options to select a more balanced team.
Yours faithfully,
Elroy Stephney
