Yet again the selection panel of Cricket West Indies (CWI) has broken the glass ceiling making ridiculous choices when it comes to team selection.
Previously it was Kieran Powell, this time the victim who has received what can be considered a `slap in the face of consistent success’ is none other than left arm orthodox spinner Veerasammy Permaul.
Recently, the selection panel led by Chief selector, Roger Harper revealed a list of 30 of the best possible players in the region for West Indies’ tour of England in a post-COVID-19 era. That list was trimmed to 25. Permaul was among those excluded.
Harper is quoted in sections of the media as saying, “the current selection panel sees current performance as critical to selection as it is important to select players when they are in form.
“However the panel is also informed by the track record of the player.”
A brief perusal of Permaul’s performance not only in the latest Regional First-Class season, but the six most recent seasons, shows the story of a selection panel tone deaf to its own tune. This analysis will highlight some of the inconsistencies that the selection panel has committed on the basis of Permaul’s non-selection.
Here are the facts. Permaul is a 30-year-old left-arm spinner who finished as the leading wicket taker for the West Indies Championship this season. In eight matches the veteran picked up 50 wickets at an average of 12.98 which happens to be the second lowest in the competition. This seems to be a player in-form evidenced by a personal best of 15 for 77 in a match.
On the basis of form, if we were to look at some of the performances that merited selection in the current 25-man unit we can and will look at the numbers.
The second highest wicket-taker, Chemar Holder (36 wickets) along with Preston McSween who played eight of his nine First-Class matches this season and took 31 wickets were awarded places. Leading wicket takers, Kemar Roach and Rahkeem Cornwall were also in the side as well as Anderson Phillip who played just three matches of his 14-match career this season where he took 21 wickets and found himself on tour.
In the batting department, Jermaine Blackwood finished with the most runs and found himself back in the West Indies side while apart from Devon Smith, the other five batsmen in the top seven, namely Kyle Mayers, Nkrumah Bonner, Joshua DaSilva, John Campbell and Shayne Moseley were all selected.
One might be tempted to argue that the position in the side is crucial to selection and Permaul would be in contention for a like-for-like pick. In this regard Permaul’s record this season has been far superior compared to the left-arm spinner selected, Jomel Warrican, who picked up a mere 16 wickets in six games this season.
But some might say the track record of the player is also of contention. In 121 First-Class matches, Permaul took 536 wickets while Warrican took 261 in 67 matches. In the Franchise era of Regional 4-day, Permaul is yet to go a season with less than 40 wickets and has been instrumental in Guyana Jaguars winning the Championship for five consecutive years. He has even been working with the coaches to reinvent his bowling, using the crease more and utilizing the angles especially to the right handers.
Permaul’s last Test was five years ago and in the following five First-Class seasons he picked up 223 wickets in 45 matches.
Even in their international career Permaul has faced the music, losing his spot in the West Indies Test side after picking up 18 wickets but Warrican remains in the set up after taking 22 wickets in eight Tests. But one may ask how can consistency be a bench mark for selection but only applicable for some? Da Silva, Holder, Phillip and McSween had ordinary seasons and failed to cement their spots in their respective franchises prior to this season while Permaul has been the linchpin of the Guyana Jaguars bowling unit.
Fitness and age certainly can be factors in selection with many teams opting to invest in younger, fitter players but those criteria could not be applicable with Permaul being only two years older than Warrican and a consistent high-flier when the fitness test comes around.
Also, Shamarh Brooks, who is in the side and is currently 31 years of age was handed a Test debut last year while Bonner at 31 years is yet to make his debut.
Even Devon Smith was recalled to the West Indies side in 2018 at 36 years of age after dominating the run charts in the Regional championships.
Since Permaul’s disenfranchisement, the Berbice Cricket Board and Albion Sports Club have been up in arms calling the non selection “sickening” and “mindboggling” and once again calling for answers.
However, like most of their cries relating to a justification for the treatment handed down to Permaul, it has gone unheard.
One wonders if Permaul needs to take 100 wickets a season and score a handful of centuries to earn a place.
If the selectors’ ficticious critiera of performance, fitness, age, and consistency are thrown out the window when it comes to the former Guyana captain then the powers that be should be bold enough to tell the spinner that he no longer is in contention to represent West Indies at least to put to rest the long standing question, “what more does Permaul have to do to be selected?”
