Permaul’s omission in direct contrast to CWI selection mandates
Guyana Jaguars left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul
Guyana Jaguars left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul

… GCB launches probe into non-selection of leading wicket-taker

By Clifton Ross

CRICKET West Indies’ (CWI) recent snub of the 2020 Regional 4-Day leading bowler and wicket-taker, Guyana Jaguars spinner Veerasammy Permaul, has raised a number of red flags about selection policies, resulting in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) probe for answers.

Permaul snatched 50 wickets from just 8 matches with a tournament/career-best 15-77 with 8-18 being his best returns in an innings.

The left-arm spinner was 14 wickets ahead of the second-place bowler and recent Test selectee, pacer Chemar Holder, who bowled well for his 36 wickets which he had acquired by the end of the COVID-19 affected 4-Day season.

CWI CEO Johnny Grave

Permaul was, nevertheless, left out of the squad who winged out for their upcoming battle in the United Kingdom against the English. However, his counterpart with regard to leading the season in his trade; Jermaine Blackwood, the tourney’s leading run-scorer (768 runs) easily made the cut.

Even more baffling, Blackwood’s teammate Nkrumah Bonner, who first of all earned his selection by ending as one of the few batsmen to cross the 500-run mark, and the 4th leading run-scorer overall with 523 runs in total including 2 hundreds, garnered more favours with selectors for the England series.

With the leading run-scorer, the second leading wicket-taker getting the obvious nods following highly-justifiable performances this season, Permaul’s non-selection for the same Test series raised an immediate tocsin, about what is the yardstick being used currently by the CWI for international selection.

The regional governing cricket body, even prior to the formation of the Professional Cricket League (PCL) was adamant that Test and One Day International (ODI) hopefuls needed to participate and accomplish much in the respective annual Regional 50-Overs and 4-Day tournaments.

The PCL, in keeping with the old rules, ensured that players needed to remain fit, play in the sanctioned CWI tournaments for their respective franchise and most importantly; let their seasonal statistics be the benchmark for Windies selection.

It could be argued that Permaul might not be that impactful in English conditions as a Test spinner, but his approach to the game and his all-time dedication to keeping fit while letting the ball do the talking, coupled with his returns this season; proved more than enough to warrant selection especially with a few high-profile players pulling out of the tour.

In the past, a veteran, 35-plus year-old Devon Smith used to bully the selectors into retaining his opening batsman’s spot in the Windies team by dominating just half of the 4-Day season with a truckload of runs; only to have mixed returns on the Test scene.

At 30 years old, with more than 500 first-class wickets but just six Test matches under his belt, the last being some five years ago against Australia, Permaul needed to be one of the bowlers on that tour.

Permaul has maintained his rank as the leading spinner in Regional 4-Day cricket in terms of wickets and being the only one with 500-plus victims to be still active.

The left-hander should have been given the chance to improve the quality of his spin which would have made him a better Test bowler; much like his ‘partner in crime’ Devendra Bishoo who has had more success internationally.

Recently, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) expressed its utter bewilderment following Permaul’s omission from the squad. The GCB release questioned CWI and its selection methods as performances were the strongest criteria for selection and Permaul had exceeded those qualifications.

The GCB concluded the official statement to CEO Johnny Grave by requesting rational clarification behind the absence of the 4-Day season’s leading bowler in the squad of 25 players.

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