Former Guyana and West Indies pacer Reon King said yesterday he hoped that the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka by the West Indies will be a turnaround for Guyanese Rajindra Chandrika.
King also urged left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul and batsman Leon Johnson who missed out on selection to continue the hard-work.
King, during an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sports yesterday said that while the non-selection of Johnson and Permaul was a bit disappointing, it was good to see Chandrika being given another opportunity despite his failures in his lone Test against Australia a few months ago.
Permaul, who made headlines after being the leading wicket-taker in last season’s Professional Cricket League (PCL) four-day tourney, was excluded from the West Indies team for the upcoming assignment.
The selection panel headed by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd opted for another left-arm spinner in Jomel Warrican of Barbados.
Johnson was also overlooked for the tour despite a good start to his Test career which kicked off last year.
King said yesterday he believed that both players were bit unlucky to miss out but said that making statements with bat and ball will always keep them on the selectors’ radar for the future.
“Score a wealth of runs, that’s what Johnson and Chandrika need to do. “It’s good to see the selectors keeping faith in Chandrika after he failed against the best side in the world. It’s obvious they see something in Chandrika. He could realize his potential and maybe they see something in Johnson technically that he needs to work on and become better. It’s simple both of them have youth on their side and I always admired Leon as a youngster. He’s a hard worker, I seen him maturing. Hopefully whatever he is going through is behind him and he will find himself back at the highest level soon.”
Speaking on the decision to select Warrican over Permaul, King, who played 19 Tests for the West Indies is of the belief that the selectors are more interested in Warrican’s style of bowling rather than Permaul’s wicket-taking efficiency which might also be coupled with the conditions and each bowler’s respective approach.
“Both of them are similar spinners but maybe the selectors are looking for someone more flighty that’s why they chose Warrican. Permaul has improved leaps and bounds and he’s dead on the bulls-eye, but maybe they (selectors) are looking for a guy that hangs the balls a little in the air so I think when you’re looking at a guy it’s a matter of technique rather than wickets,” was his take.
He added that selectors might also be scouting bowlers based on their means of taking wickets, when they take wickets, if a bowler is balanced enough to take wickets by different approaches, technique in certain conditions, among other areas.
King also believed that it’s very important for players, coaches and selectors to have good relationships and was confident that the West Indies selectors would tell players their reasons for being dropped or overlooked, leaving the onus for correction and improvement solely in the hands of the cricketers.
As such, in Permaul’s case, King said he knows that the left-arm spinner is sure of himself as a blower and therefore should not change his bowling style but should look to expand his arsenal. He noted that while selectors might tell players what they are looking for, it is important for players to accept that they might be one dimensional or that more dire improvement is need for their personal progression.
With a new captain in Jason Holder and a few new faces like Warrican and Carlos Brathwaite in the mix, King said the only worry for the team is their batting because the bowlers are vastly improving and collecting wickets while the batting seems to be collapsing, especially in the middle.
“The team is no surprise to be honest. In the batting department some of the senior guys decided not to play or are injured or are not in the team for whatever reasons. The selectors have their job to do while we don’t have the prolific scorers like Joe Root and Steven Smith, but we have youth going to Sri Lanka and they can learn and are in a good position to win once they can play as a team.”
Wrapping up his interview, the former Durham speedster said that players should be tirelessly involved in the West Indies camps, calling out for more uses of these camps where players can correct their chinks while further improving their trades.
As for his advice for his countrymen who might not be where they want to be career-wise and those who are playing at the highest levels but still find it hard to cope with the rigors of international cricket, King said the ingredients for success is about “Knowing yourself, knowing what you’re capable of, having mental fortitude, good techniques and backing oneself to the end.”
