The job of being a cricket selector is by no means an easy one. It’s a position, to my mind, that entails either going with your gut or going on pure numbers. Players who perform well make employing the latter easy but for this submission, I do believe that the Roger Harper led West Indies selection panel could have gone with a few more left-field options for the upcoming tour of England.
I’ll address the 14-man squad since the other 11 selected players are mere consolation picks in the event of possible injuries to those in the original squad.
I have no qualms with the enigma that is Kraigg Braithwaite slotting in at the top of the order along with John Campbell. The experience of the former is crucial in such an away tour and Campbell, who is barely six matches into his Test career, is a wonderful free-flowing player to watch and can perhaps blossom into a gem.
There are no questions surrounding the inclusion of Shamarh Brooks whose last test innings was a well-composed ton. The same can be said about Roston Chase and Shai Hope; you can’t really select a test team without them.
But with Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo opting out of the tour because of the COVID – 19 situation in the U.K, taking away two vital batting options, Harper could have made a few bolder decisions and go for more experienced players.
While Jamaicans, Jermaine Blackwood, and Nkrumah Bonner, had an exceptional outing in the region’s marquee first-class championship, scoring 768 and 532 runs respectively, they aren’t ideal test middle-order batsmen, especially in conditions where the ball is expected to swing considerably.
A practical recall of either Kieran Powell and or Leon Johnson to sure up the middle order would have provided more solid batting options for a batting line up that seems problematic. Their techniques are more tailored to play the moving ball and they both graft well. Blackwood and Bonner are more suited for the ICC white ball event Down Under, later in the year.
Yes, Harper can argue that the Jamaican duo was selected on form but although they’ve had a good season, they were both out of cricket for some time due to the COVID – 19 pandemic which practically affected everyone’s form.
And with Braithwaite becoming less relied upon and Campbell now finding his way, Powell and Johnson should have been considered in the absence of Hetmyer and Bravo. Those were the kind of selection calls I anticipated from a cricket guru such as Harper. He missed the plot. It almost seems as if the panel went for the safest route but selectors have to use initiative outside of the what’s before them by taking punts to create feel-good stories. I also have an issue with Raymon Reifer’s selection. If Blackwood and Bonner were selected on form then on what basis was Reifer selected? He scored 230 runs from seven matches during the most recent regional four-day championship and took 16 wickets.
The season prior, he scored 213 runs from six matches and snared 26 wickets. Meager returns with the bat. But perhaps in another part of the world, a selection committee may well have considered a matured Christopher Barnwell – the kind of instinctive decisions needed to go up against England.
The 33-year-old Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) player amassed 742 runs over the last two seasons, 299 runs more than Reifer, and took 15 wickets during the same period. He has a case.
Finally, if Shannon Gabriel is fully fit, which should be the case since he made it on the reserve list, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be in your 14-man squad.
As it regards the exclusion of Guyanese Veerasammy Permaul who has taken a staggering 183 wickets over the last four seasons, he may have to sort out whatever personal rift he has with CWI because his continued non-selection makes you wonder what is the currency of consistent performance.
