WI squad for Lords should include iconic names from 2012, 2016

Dear Editor,

Notwithstanding the attempts by administrators and journalists to convince the rest of us that the five day version is the ‘ultimate’ form of cricket, I suspect the three hour game at Lords on May 31 between the two-time reigning world champions West Indies, versus the Rest of the World will be watched and listened to by more people than any other cricket match, if marketed properly.

It is incumbent on West Indies administrators to make a special contribution to the event’s success by including in its squad most of the iconic names who were winners of one or both of the championships in 2012 and 2016,without letting cricket politics infect the selection process. I speak, of course, of players like captain Sammy, Badree, Darren Bravo, Fletcher, Gayle, Narine, Pollard, Ramdin, Russell, Samuels, Simmons, Smith and Taylor. To this group should be added current and future stars like Darren Bravo, Shai Hope, Hetmyer, Joseph, Paul and Williams. An eleven from such a squad will be formidable, attract enormous interest and do West Indies proud. The game of cricket will be its chief beneficiary.

Yours faithfully,

Romain Pitt