By Tony McWatt
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s
Selection Panel has named the fifteenman
squad for the West Indies “A” Team tour of Bangladesh. Joshua Da
Silva, the West Indies Test wicket-keeper/batter,
will captain the team in the three four-day “Test”
matches against Bangladesh “A” starting on 16
May.
Along with Da Silva, the 15-member squad
includes other players with West Indies Test
match experience: left-handed opener Tagenarine
Chanderpaul, left-handed allrounder Raymon
Reifer, fast bowler Anderson Phillip and left-arm
spinner Gudakesh Motie.
The squad also includes three newcomers to the
international level: openers Kirk McKenzie and
Zachary McCaskie, as well as fast bowler Jair
McAllister. All three made their first-class debuts
during the West Indies Championship four-day
first-class tournament earlier this year.
The announced full squad is as follows: Joshua
DaSilva (Captain), Alick Athanaze, Yannic
Cariah, Keacy Carty, Tagenarine Chanderpaul,
Tevin Imlach, Akeem Jordan, Brandon King, Jair
McAllister, Zachary McCaskie Kirk McKenzie,
Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer
and Kevin Sinclair.
Lead Selector, the Most Honorable Dr. Desmond
Haynes, stated that the aim was to pick a balanced
team as they look to expose the players to
overseas conditions. Despite’ Haynes’ provided
explanation given that the selected squad is
supposed to be for an A Team developmental tour
to Bangladesh, one of the few Test playing countries
currently ranked lower than the West Indies, some
of the inclusions can only now be best described as
highly dubious.
The choice of the West Indies incumbent Test
wicket-keeper batsman Josh DaSilva to lead the
side is perfectly understandable. He is obviously
now being viewed as a potential future West Indies
captain. Hopefully, as captain he will also use the
tour to provide himself with the responsibility
of coming higher in the batting order, possibly at
number five.
The inclusion of the two other current West Indies
Test players Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Gudakesk
Motie is perfectly understandable as well. The
provided match play exposure should prove to
be most valuable for their respective preparations
for the upcoming Home Series against India.
Chanderpaul has been short of runs of late in his
most recent outings. Motie on the other hand is still
trying to recover fully from his most recent injury.
He also always bowls much better when he’s had a
good few successive matches under his belt.
Those three as well as quite a few of the other
inclusions such as those of Alick Athanaze, Bandon
King, Tevin Imlach, Akeem Jordan, Jair McAllister,
Kirk McKenzie and Kevin Sinclair are, however,
the sum total of the favourable and fully agreeable
selections. The remainder are highly dubious and
extraordinarily befuddling.
It is incomprehensible that at this stage of their respective
carriers, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Anderson Phillip and
Raymon Reifer should all stil find themselves included on
a supposedly West Indies A Team developmental tour. All
four have had more than sufficient chances to demonstrate
their respective worth to the Selectors. Their respective
performances have just as clearly shown that they are
simply not Test match material. Why then continue to
provide each of them with even further opportunities
and particularly so at the expense of much younger more
promising players.
Instead of Raymon Reifer, Dominic Drakes as a very
promising pacy left-arm seamer and useful batsman should
have been included. Having finished second in the rankings
for the Headley Weekes Tri Series highest run scorers,
Kevlon Anderson surely should also have warranted being
included ahead of Keacy Carty.
In addition to the included Jair McAllister there were also
some other very promising seamers on display during the
Headley-Weekes Tri Series, particularly from within the
Academy team. Anyone of Nyeem Young, Johann Layne
or Kelvin Pitman would have been a much better selection
than the already repeatedly tried Anderson Phillip.
Dubious picks and yet another wonderful opportunity to
provide promising emerging younger players with valuable
overseas touring exposure. Some kudos, but also a few
too many darts for Chairman Haynes and his fellow
Selectors!