Dear Editor,
It is very nice to see Ryan Hinds once more among the runs and wickets in our regional competition. Hinds is one of the most maligned cricketers in the West Indies because, even though he continues to be among the leading run scorers at the regional level he is consistently overlooked in favour of other players with much less ability and statistics than him. Once again he’s the stand-out performer and yet can’t make even the President’s XI. The same can be said for other players like Runako and Narsingh Morton and players Deonarine.
Many have said that these have not done their talent justice and that they have disciplinary and fitness issues − but can’t the same be said for almost all of our young players today?
These three players were given exposure at Test level and, while they may not have exactly set the world on fire, they were not complete failures. Hinds was a more than capable #6, averaging in the mid 30s. He was also a bowling option. Morton did well whenever he was given an opportunity. Yes, he was limited in terms of ability, but he had much better mental ability than the present lot who are being exposed. Deonarine was the only rookie who looked capable against Muralitharan during their tour against Sri Lanka a few years ago. Yet he was discarded and never recalled again. He also deserves another look in on the Test team.
These three players are all performing during this present season but still can’t make the second XI.
There are serious question marks about the stock of West Indian batsmen at present. When players like Chattergoon, Findlay, Johnson, Richards, David Bernard, et al are the ones identified to take us into the future then we definitely have a problem. (For Johnson, it just seems that he was exposed too early and this may have a negative effect on his career.) Hinds is still only 28. Narsingh Deonarine is about 26. Morton is in his early 30s. Why can’t these players even make it to the President’s XI? There seems to be a rush to expose young talents, but do they deserve these elevations before players like Hinds, Morton and Deonarine?
With so few first class games being played these days against international teams, fringe players should be given the opportunity rather than playing young talents just for the sake of exposure.
If a President’s XI is selected to primarily identify players to be on standby for the Test series, the squad should have read as follows:- Barath, Chattergoon, Morton, Bravo, Hinds, Deonarine, Baugh (or any other wicketkeeper with credentials), Dave Mohammed (what’s hapened to him?), Kemar Roach, Andrew Richardson, Nelson Pascal. A few younger players could have been added to make up the 14 man team.
I wonder how many of the young players who now presently make up the President’s XI actually stand a chance of making the West Indies team this season?
It has been said that there is a dearth of talent in the West Indies but players of the calibre of Ryan Hinds, Narsingh Deonarine, Xavier Marshall, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Keiron Powell, Kemar Roach, et al have long been recognised as ‘special talents.’ Are they being properly developed to be ready for the next level?
West Indies cricket never suffered from lack of talent. Rather, it’s been the harnessing of these talents that’s made our cricket standards fall so depressingly low. A look at the President’s XI that was selected is enough to indicate the confusing signals that are sent to our fringe players.
Yours faithfully,
M Emile
