– West Indies selectors vindictive, insular
SPORTS VIEW
The vindictive and insular West Indies selectors along with the West Indies Cricket Board must explain to the Caribbean people why several senior and some of the best players presently in the Caribbean were not selected to play for the West Indies on their next tour to Sri Lanka. It cannot be denied that Ramnaresh Sarwan and Denish Ramdin are two World Class players who, by virtue of their performance and position in the West Indies team, deserved to be included in the team to Sri Lanka.

The elegant senior test batsman, Ramnaresh Sarwan, has been axed from the West Indies squad.  The selectors mouth piece, Clyde Butts, explained that Sarwan’s omission came about because of his injury and fitness.  Butts’ callous announcement must be seen as unpatriotic and totally unacceptable.

As Guyana prepared to play against Barbados in a crucial WICB One Day International on Sunday, the “leaks” from the “Butts team” surfaced.
The Guyanese team was utterly demoralized and it was a team traumatized to the core that faced Barbados on that faithful day.

Players were observed lamenting over the rumours circulating about the selection of the West Indies team. Some even openly questioned their prospective careers as cricketers and how can we criticize them for this?  If one of the most renowned cricketers of their era was not selected for the West Indian team, what hope can they hold onto?

The announcement certainly had more negative impact on Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine. 

The other Guyanese players were seen in different groups mourning over the announcement as they ask each other several questions. 

One player asked if Butts is a Guyanese while another younger player question the non-inclusion of skipper Sarwan.
Some senior players did not eat and drink anything during the lunch interval.  Scores of phone calls were made to all the players informing them about the crucial and distressing news that were circulating around the Caribbean.  The Guyanese players were humiliated and they could not focus on their batting against Barbados and they were skittled out for their lowest One Day score.

The notorious Clyde Butts and the St. Lucian combination used the question of Ramnaresh Sarwan’s fitness as a paltry excuse for his exclusion from the West Indian team.

Surely they jest; the elegant stroke player played in four competitions over the last six months injury-free and was reportedly commended by the West Indies head coach Otis Gibson for his work in physical training sessions during the recent South Africa series.

Ramnaresh Sarwan won three prestigious awards in the year 2009 although he was unfortunately injured in the said year.
These awards are as follows:-
** The Cricketer of the Year for WIPA
** The Senior Cricketer of the Year for Guyana
** The Sportsman of the year for Guyana

He could not have won these awards if he didn’t perform very well in the matches he played in 2009 and to achieve these performances, one has to be physically fit.

At the beginning of the year 2009, Sarwan scored 762 test runs from 10 innings against England including four (4) splendid centuries.

Sarwan was unfortunate not to play against Bangladesh and South Africa when he would have scored much more runs and win the ICC Cricketer of the Year.  Sarwan did not play in those two series because of the bungling in the West Indies Cricket Board Administrators.

Sarwan shamed the selectors as he successfully led the Guyana team to victory in the inaugural West Indies Twenty/20 Championship.  He was the most successful batsman and undoubtedly led his team with his superb run-scoring and fielding.

The Guyanese skipper went through an intense training camp over four weeks as the team was razor sharp in their preparation for the Airtel Championship League in South Africa. 
Sarwan scored a magnificent 76 off a mere 46 balls against the Australians Red Backs. Our resilient West Indian hero then returned home to play in the Guyana inter-county tournament.

Sarwan was in Jamaica when the selectors and the West Indies Cricket Board made their shocking announcement.  Guyana and Trinidad certainly felt the vicious blow delivered by the insular announcement.

Butts made it crystal clear that Sarwan’s batting form was not an issue.  Sarwan scored 5,759 test runs with 15 centuries and a test average of 41.73 along with 5,098 one day international runs with four splendid hundred and an average of 43.94. 

Against Sri Lanka, Sarwan is certainly the best West Indies batsman on record. When this stellar batting record is combined with his spectacular fielding and leadership abilities, it becomes clear that Sarwan is one of the most productive and praise worthy West Indian cricketers of his time.

Yet, the WICB selectors have opted to exclude him from the team for the upcoming tournament.

West Indies Selectors/Administrators

Darren Sammy cannot command his place in the West Indies cricket team.  His appointment as captain is a recipe for the further humiliation of West Indian Cricket. 

Sammy is a slow medium fast bowler who is highly overrated by the two St. Lucians: Hunte and Ernest Hilire.

After playing in 43 One Day Internationals, Sammy’s batting average is a mere 24.81.

It is most disgraceful to give his bowling performance.
Most ridiculous is the catapultion of Brendon Nash as vice Captain of the team.  Nash was finding it difficult to make the Jamaican team recently. 

He has been in and out of the West Indies test team and he certainly cannot be selected in the West Indies Twenty/20 or ‘Limited Over Team’. 

How can the selectors justify his appointment as Vice Captain of the team?
The selectors, and the West Indies Cricket Board, are like a cork in the ocean responding only to pressure.

Just imagine that the unscrupulous West Indies Cricket Board gave retainer contract to Andre Fletcher whose average in the West Indies team is a mere 17.06.

Carlton Baugh, Jr. is ‘a flash in the pan’ batsman and he is less than mediocre behind the wicket.  Ramdin is the best wicketkeeper in the Caribbean and his non-inclusion on the team is shocking and unacceptable.

Devon Smith is a total failure.  He has had more than enough chance to prove himself and has abysmally failed to do so. 

The two spinners, Sulieman Ben and Shane Shillingford, are not two great spinners. Further, Benn is known for his indiscipline while Shillingford has only demonstrated fledgling-like abilities as a bowler.

Andre Russell and Nelon Pascal are  far below average fast bowlers.  It seems that the West Indian selectors have decided to present the Sri Lankan batsmen with an early Christmas gift in the form of a laughable West Indian bowling lineup.

The West Indian selectors have, in the recent past, demonstrated a penchant for making selections for seemingly no better reason than “We Have The Power”.

This is no longer tolerable! We as West Indians, must unite and question this utterly nonsensical display of maniacal tyranny!

It is time that the selectors explain to the Caribbean people the criteria that was used for selecting the team.  There must be some point system for batting, fielding and bowling.

For the love of the game, we demand a sensible and transparent selection process.

PULL QUOTE:
The West Indian selectors have, in the recent past, demonstrated a penchant for making selections for seemingly no better reason than “We Have The Power”.
This is no longer tolerable! We as West Indians, must unite and question this utterly nonsensical display of maniacal tyranny!
It is time that the selectors explain to the Caribbean people the criteria that was used for selecting the team. 
There must be some point system for batting, fielding and bowling. For the love of the game, we demand a sensible and transparent selection process.