– Calls for major changes ahead of World Cup

A cricket commentator has laced into the selection panel of Cricket West Indies (CWI), calling for immediate sweeping changes in the team ahead of the 2019 World Cup, in England and Wales.

Former veteran broadcaster Joseph ‘Reds’ Pereira, who spoke exclusively to the Guyana Chronicle while in Guyana last week, has contended that the side needs to undergo a major transformation.

“You can’t be happy with the way they have performed and they were really below par in just about all the areas,” he said.

“There’s no point in the board saying we have a master plan and we are going to win the World Cup. If we perform like that against what we had in Zimbabwe, when we reach India and Australia and South Africa and New Zealand, all of a sudden, we aren’t going to have a magic wand to turn rock into gold,” he added.

“For example, I do not have Marlon Samuels going to England next year, I think I’ll use [Roston] Chase who is very capable with the bat, can turn the ball over and will not absorb or soak up so much dot balls.”

“I certainly wouldn’t have Carlos Braithwaite. I think I’d want to take Andre Russell as my all-rounder, once he is fit and available; I have Russell in place of Carlos Braithwaite.”

He noted that Devendra Bishoo would be an omission from the squad as well, as he needs some work with a quality leg spinner to achieve his full potential as a test bowler

Jason Mohamed, `Reds’ said, has passed his time but batted for left- arm spinner, Kavem Hodge, who, he says, is more than talented enough for the unit.

Speaking about talismanic opener Chris Gayle, `Reds’ said, “I don’t see Gayle getting any better, health-wise.”

Captain Jason Holder, along with players like Kemar Roach, Kesrick Williams, Miguel Cummins and Sheldon Cottrell, were all players that `Reds’ said, should be in the side.

“We cannot keep playing virtually the same team we had in Zimbabwe because we just weren’t putting it together and we were so poor in so many areas,” he asserted.