(Letter to the Sports Editor)

THE Albion Community Centre Cricket Club (ACCCC) wishes to express its extreme disappointment at the non-selection of Veerasammy Permaul on the West Indies team for the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka.
Without any doubt, young Permaul should have been selected to accompany his fellow Guyanese and Albion club-mate Devendra Bishoo once there is need for two specialist spinners and, with there being no Sunil Narine, Permaul’s omission is very much mindboggling; more so, with the selection of fellow left-arm-spinner Jomel Warrican ahead of him.
Selections must be based purely on merit and performance and Permaul has undoubtedly fulfilled such criteria as his performance has been remarkable in all formats of the game for Guyana over the years and more so in recent times, capturing 87 scalps in 25 regional matches (first class, List A and T20) this season.
This included a record-breaking 67 wickets for 943 runs at a mere average of 14.7 in the last Regional First Class season where he was also the leading wicket-taker. Additionally, he had also been among the runs, rattling up a total of 226 in the lower order at an average of 22.86 inclusive of an unbeaten 86 against Jamaica to showcase his ability with the bat, coupled with his also being among the best fieldsmen in the West Indies.
This is not the first time that Permaul, who has so far played six Test matches and captured 18 wickets, had to face the brunt of the Clive Lloyd-led West Indies’ Selection Panel as there were two other instances earlier in this year where Sulieman Benn and Nikita Miller were chosen ahead of him.
Yes, the selectors may want to argue that Permaul had played in two Test matches one each in the two home series against England and Australia respectively earlier this year, where he took only six wickets, including a best of 3 for 43 against England, but the big question is: “Was (the result of) two Test matches enough for him to be sidelined” when he was the top bowler in the Regional First Class Tournament?
A quick comparison of Permaul’s bowling performance as against Warrican in the 2014/2015 Regional First Class tournament shows that Permaul was ahead by a huge 18 wickets.
Also, of importance is that Permaul and Bishoo (61 wickets in the 2014/2015 Regional First Class Tournament) have a successful record of bowling well together as was clearly demonstrated over the years for Guyana inclusive of the 2014/ 2015 Regional First Class season.
Further, the ACCCC would also like to take this opportunity to urge the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), to at least commence attending the Guyana Cricket Board’s meetings so that cricketers and cricket generally in the Ancient County can have much-needed representation.
The Club is of the firm view that serious attention needs to be paid where the interests of Berbice cricketers are concerned and once the BCB attends the GCB’s meetings, Berbice cricketers and cricket as a whole will benefit from proper representation not only at the GCB’s level but extension the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).