Week three of this 2023, still relatively new, year was certainly action-packed. Topmost among the week’s events was the much-anticipated announcement of the West Indies squad for its forthcoming Zimbabwe tour, quickly followed by the 2022 T20 World Cup Investigation Committee’s presentation of its Official Report.
As evidenced by their announced 15-member squad, CWI Chair Desmond Haynes, as well as his recently appointed Panel co-members fellow Barbadian Roland Butcher and Interim Head Coach Andre Coley, must have been adorned with clown hats when they convened to undertake the task of identifying those who will be on the flight to Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe tour, comprised as it will be of just two Tests against hosts who are currently the lowest-ranked ICC team, should at least on current form provide the West Indies with a wonderful opportunity to secure a very rare away Series win.
Described by veteran Caribbean Cricket Radio Commentator Joseph “Reds” Perreira as “extremely disappointing,” Haynes’ announced 15-member squad includes at least three highly questionable selections. At least two more of the other announced choices would also arguably qualify as being debatable!
First on the list of the three highly questionable squad selections is the inclusion of two left-arm spinners, Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican. The announced squad also features the inclusion of Barbadian Roston Chase. The very same Chase who had been selected for last year’s recently completed tour to Australia under Haynes’ misguided belief that he could function as a front-line spinner.
Instead, the Chase Australia Tour “front-line spinner selection proved itself to be a monumental disaster. It was also yet another, most worrying addition to the ever-growing list of such major disasters that have become characteristic of Haynes’ announced squads!
If as Haynes suggested in his provided explanation of the squad the anticipated Zimbabwe conditions warranted the inclusion of two front-line spinners as well as Chase, surely the better choice would have been to opt for a bowler of much different variety.
As a right-arm wrist spinner the inclusion of Yannick Cariah would have provided such far more welcomed variety. Cariah’s inclusion would also have presented the Selectors with the opportunity to have an experimental view of his abilities as a potential attacking, wicket-taking, Test bowler.
Secondly, if two left-arm spinners were deemed to be absolutely necessary, why did Haynes and his fellow Selectors choose to look backward to Jomel Warrican? They should have instead looked forward to someone such as Akeal Hosein who, despite his commendable white-ball performances, hasn’t been tried as yet in Tests.
The inclusion of someone new and untried like Hosein would have been a much welcomed forward-thinking choice by Haynes & Co. Certainly far more so than the recycled selection of Warrican. The now almost 31-year-old Warrican’s 23 already played Tests have produced only 41 wickets, taken at an average of 35.21.
Just as controversial as the Warrican second left-arm spinner selection is the inclusion of Nkrumah Bonner, particularly after his recent Aussie tour experience. As the provided evidence from the Australia tour demonstrated most undeniably, Bonner’s vulnerability to short-pitched bowling has been found out at Test level.
Twice now in his relatively short career of just 15 Tests, Bonner has already suffered concussion resulting blows to the head from short-pitched deliveries. If that weren’t sufficient, his once impressive Test average has been plummeting. Bonner’s last 20 Test innings have included as many as 11 below-20 scores, including 4 ducks!
West Indies now desperately needs a new number three. The day after the Aussie Tour ended, Haynes should have been in Brandon King’s ear. Alerting him to his identification as the absolute best available choice for that role. Instead, he didn’t have the foresight to do so and King went off to Dubai to ply his trade as the latest addition to the T20 circuit.
As did Dominic Drakes and Kemo Paul, both of whom would have been much better long-term future squad development picks than either Ramon Reifer or Shannon Gabriel. Given the unavailability of Seales and Phillip to injury as well as that of Paul to the T20 circuit, Gabriel’s inclusion should not have come as a big surprise to anyone, however. The question still remains though as to if he can last an entire Test without subjecting himself to his now very well-known tendencies to break down!
After their sub-par Aussie Tour performances, Jerome Blackwood, Kyle Mayers, as well as the previously mentioned Roston Chase should all consider themselves very lucky to still be members of a West Indies squad. So too should Ramon Reifer whose continued presence in the squad is particularly befuddling.
The fact that Bonner, Blackwood, and Mayers are still being persisted with as members of a consistently failing West Indies middle-order speaks to the paucity of available choices. It does, however, also serve as an indication of the most disappointing lack of boldness on the part of Haynes and Co to diligently pursue far more promising alternatives. Heaven and earth should have been moved by Haynes & Co to have Brandon King, Shimron Hetmeyer and Shai Hope included in the Zimbabwe squad.
The opportunity has, however, now been provided for all those selected to justify their respective inclusions.
An even more exciting opportunity has also been presented to the incoming CWI President and his Board to implement the T20 World Cup Review Committee’s provided recommendations. Their very first action towards doing so should, however, be the employment of a Caribbean birth or heritage person, essentially “one ah we” to oversee and manage the entire process as CWI’s new CEO!
The timing of the three-member: Justice Patrick Thompson, Brian Lara, and Mickey Arthur T20 World Cup Review Committee’s Report on its findings couldn’t have come at a better time for outgoing CWI President Ricky Skerritt. Not surprisingly, Skerritt has jumped all over the Panel’s Report. Emerging from his apparent hibernation to gleefully grab the ensuing media spotlight attention with both hands by dominating the press conference that was held to officially announce the Committee’s findings and recommendations.
As his outgoing Presidential parting shot, Skerritt has masterfully left the actual implementation of the Review Panel’s 34 recommendations in the likely less-than-capable hands of the CWI”s six-member-regions dominated Executive Board. Having done so he can now ride off into the proverbial sunset with a wry smile on his face. Smug in the knowledge that for all the criticisms that were heaped on his presidency, history cannot now deny that it was under his leadership that the inquiry was rightfully commissioned and that its restoration roadmap was provided.
If the Panel’s recommendations are indeed actually implemented, as everyone should be hoping for them to be, it will be Skerritt to whom the lion’s share of the resulting associated praise should justifiably be accredited. If not, and the Regional Boards fall back to their time-favored detrimental habits of effectively dismissing such recommendations as not being at all required, Skerritt will, however, by his absence and resulting direct non-involvement then be completely absolved of any blame for the CWI Board’s failure to implement the recommendations!
Skerritt, however, also most recently publicly alluded to his administration having accomplished just two of its major objectives during its entire four-year term The question to be asked of him is, of course, as to the implementation status of all the other promises that were listed on both of his first and second term manifestos.
The Skerritt-Shallow revised 2nd term Manifesto promised no less than 10 Action Initiatives. An actual achievement record of 2/10, therefore, represents an abject failure by anyone’s standards.
Instead of publicly boasting as he did most recently about the Review Committee, as well as the Wheby Reports having been among his administration’s outstanding accomplishments, Skerritt should have quit while he was ahead by keeping his mouth shut.