The West Indies T20I Selection Panel, comprised as it is currently of
Chairman the Rt Honourable Sesomong Haynes and Head Coach
Daren Sammy, appears to be mired in stubborn blindness. That’s the
only plausible explanation for the Panel’s inclusion of Kyle Mayers, Roston
Chase and arguably even Johnson Charles in their chosen West Indies
fifteen-member squad for the ongoing three match T20 series Down Under
against their Australian hosts. A series which in all likelihood could well serve
as the only remaining international exposure for the West
Indies before the June 2 commencement of their 2024
T20 World Cup campaign.
Of the fifteen players chosen for the Aussie series squad,
twelve can be viewed as having merited their inclusion.
Very few, if any, of those connected in any manner to West
Indies cricket would have voiced any level of objection
to the squad inclusions of Rovman Powell, captain, Shai
Hope Vice Capain, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri
Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran,
Andre Russell, Sharfayne Rutherford, Romario Shepperd
and Oshane Thomas. The same cannot be said, however,
about Johnson Charles, Roston Chase and especially
Kyle Mayers.
Having played as many as 33 T20Is for the West
Indies, Mayers has to date only scored 614 runs at an
unacceptably paltry average of 19.80. Moreover,
Mayers’ last ten T20I innings for the West Indies have
produced scores of 12, 0,17, 35, 10, 17, 25, 15. 1 and 17.
Albeit at strike rates ranging from a low of 0 to a high of
240. Demonstrated aggression which, however, clearly
doesn’t ever last long enough to be in any way effective.
As a St Lucian compatriot of West Indies white-ball Head
Coach Daren Sammy, the 35-year-old Johnson Charles
has been just as ineffective Kyle Mayers as a West Indies
T20I opener. Charles’ 45 T20Is have so far produced 1015
runs at a marginally better average of 23.06 and an
overall strike rate of 128.97. Charles’ last ten T20I
winnings for the West Indies do provide much
better reading than Mayers’. 27, 12, 2, 3, 0, 118,
28, 24, 45 and 25. Still not nearly as consistent
though as the West Indies’ needs would dictate.
The inadequacies of both Mayers and Charles,
however, pale by comparison to those of Roston
Chase, the reasons for whose continued inclusion
in West Indies T20 squad remains a mystery to
everyone but the Selectors. Chase’s 10 T20I
appearances in West Indies colours to date
have produced 74 runs at the underwhelming
average of 12.3. With his off-spin bowling he
has so far captured a mere 7 wickets from 10
matches played at an average of 25.9 and an
expensive 6.87 economy rate!
One of the fundamental requirements for the
West Indies to have any hopes of emerging
as 2024 T20 World Cup champions for an
unprecedented third time in the tournament’s history will
be for the co-hosts to field their strongest possible
playing XI. With as many as three unmerited
inclusions such as Chase, Charles and Mayers
in their allowable fifteen member squad they
may well find themselves choosing their playing
eleven from among the twelve whose inclusions
have been fully justified!