PAKISTAN humbled West Indies in the first three One Day Internationals. The first two matches were played in St Lucia, the home country of the President, Chief Executive Officer and the present captain of the West Indies team. The three men who occupied the top three positions in the West Indies Cricket only attracted a few spectators.  The crowd in Barbados was also poor, as the seats were vacant.
The young Pakistan team won both matches by eight and seven wickets respectively while the Windies were out-played in Barbados with poor batting and poor captaincy.
Devendra Bishoo was the only bowler to capture wickets in the first two matches. No other bowler took wickets in the first two matches. The successful World Cup bowler Ravi Ramphal who is in and out of the team ripped through the Pakistan batting in Barbados, as he captured the first four Pakistan wickets to fall before they reached 50.
However, a half-century fifth-wicket partnership was broken by young Bishoo. The leg-spinner went on to capture three wickets as the Pakistan team were struggling to survive. However, poor fielding placements and uninspired bowling with no motivation and leadership enable Pakistan to scrape home and win the One Day Series 3-0. Sammy was humiliated as his bowling, batting, fielding and captaincy demand that he be removed from the team as far as possible.
Opening batsman Devon Smith continues to fail with the bat.  His failures seem to be encouraged by the coach. Young Kirk Edwards, was catapulted into the West Indies team at the expense of Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the World Cup’s last two preliminaries.
However, he was dropped for the first quarter-final when Chanderpaul top-scored, playing undefeated when the West Indies were dismissed for a paltry 112 runs. Again the ‘know all’ of West Indies Cricket played Edwards in the first three matches in St Lucia and he failed miserably.  It was most silly to hear one of the commentators nominating this man who failed in five consecutive matches to captain the West Indies.
While the West Indies lost all three matches we must appreciate that the player who was discarded and put on the periphery – Lindl Simmons – scored runs in all three matches.
Young Darren Bravo continues to score runs and he certainly has a great future. However, Christopher Gayle went to town as he blasted the West Indies Cricket Administrators.  He humbled them with a majestic century in the IPL.
Further, he exposed Hillaire and Ottis Gibson. What he said is indeed a revelation.  Gayle was critical and he said all that the cricketing fraternity never heard before.  It is indeed a pity that Gibson and Hilaire never responded to Gayle’s criticism of the two of them, in particular.
West Indies team certainly lost Chris Gayle for this series. However, the team desperately needs Ramnaresh Sarwan urgently. The selectors are only biding time. However, they should be magnanimous and include Sarwan in the team so that the middle order could be strengthened and the lower order could bat around him.
Can the selectors justify playing Marlon Samuels who is 30 years and dropping the best batsman in the West Indies Team – Sarwan?  The entire Caribbean and the Diaspora are discussing how insular the decision not to play Sarwan, particularly when they were talking about fitness. Sarwan can be seen every day in the gym and he is practising strenuously to gain his best form with the bat and in the field.
It cannot be denied that many things are seriously wrong with West Indies Cricket.  Denish Ramdin is certainly the best wicketkeeper and he is in good form with the bat, yet he cannot find his rightful place in the West Indies team.  Sarwan and Ramdin will certainly strengthen the team’s batting.
‘JOURNALIST’
It is amazing that Guyanese cricket journalists and our sports editors are not speaking and writing about the discrimination against Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sarwan.
Our Sports pages in the various newspapers must write in the interest of our players. The sports pages must reflect research journalism.  Journalists must do in-depth research and write objectively.
There is one particular journalist who knows the level of discrimination against the Guyanese players but because he wants to ‘suck-up’ to the West Indies Cricket Board for personal favours, he will not write and speak out against all the wrongdoings.
I called the editors and complained bitterly about the sports pages and their selfish articles. Our journalists must be objective and represent the fact.  Journalists must influence and win public opinions.  Administrators must not only be honest and fair, but they must also appear to be fair.  
In the past West Indies Cricket Administrators tried to do away with the senior players such as Desmond Haynes in order to push Brian Lara as captain.
The removal of those senior players created tremendous dissatisfaction and the administrators, several presidents and chief executive officers were removed and today we are witnessing the same saga.  After fifteen years we certainly cannot find the best people to administer West Indies Cricket.  Hence, insularity steps in and that is the sole reason why for fifteen years now we are without a policy for development and criteria for selection.
I am happy to see two newspapers, one even wrote an editorial on the issue; this is most encouraging.  We must stand up for our players.
The Administrators are now the laughing boys of the cricketing world.
Ramnaresh Sarwan was cajoled and groomed under Brian Lara to take over as captain. He was appointed and unceremoniously removed.  Sarwan must be re-appointed captain of the West Indies Cricket team.  However, he must be spoken to and clearly told that West Indies Cricket come first.
He will play for another seven or eight years because he is a quality cricketer. He was a successful Under-19 and National Captain for Guyana.  None of his peers in the Caribbean stood out like he. Hence, since he was appointed captain and never being allowed to captain – Name Him Captain Now!!  After all Dwayne Bravo is not performing with the bat and the ball and he did not sign up the retainer contract.
So journalists, stand by our players.
The cricketing fraternity at home in the Caribbean and in the Diaspora must call on our own dear Clyde Butts to ensure that the reliable, dependable, loyal and solid middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul play in the first Test match against Pakistan at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
My heart is troubled when I remember vividly that magnificent innings that Carl Hooper played at Bourda. He was unceremoniously removed as captain of the team and Guyanese were never allowed to see our own Carl Llewellyn Hooper at Bourda after that magnificent double-century. 
I am appealing and calling for Chanderpaul to play in the first Test match against Pakistan.
The selectors must demonstrate their true spirit and interest in West Indies Cricket and include Sarwan in the last two One Day Matches.  Sarwan must be recalled for the fourth One Day in Barbados.  However, Guyanese must rally behind our top Guyanese players to be included in the team.
Veersammy Permaul is one of the best spin bowlers in the Caribbean. I am following this young man’s attitude and his development since he was fifteen years. He has discipline, he has genuine interest in his bowling and certainly has a positive attitude to his all-round cricket.  Butts was a former spinner.
I honestly see our spin twins Devendra Bishoo and Permaul bowling the West Indies to victory.
I will not be narrow-minded like some people in the Caribbean and call for a boycott but I will certainly call on our people to call on the selectors to play the best players in the West Indies Team.
Mr. Butts you are a gentleman, you are a Guyanese, we are proud of you.  However, we want to see West Indies Cricket at the helm of World Cricket.  Questions:  Can you justify playing Kirk Edwards and Devon Smith before Sarwan?  Tell us what you think about Permaul?  If you are building a team for the future then the best player of the High Performance Centre was Permaul, then how he is not included in the building process?  Never can you justify the non-inclusion of Sarwan.
Selectors, as a policy we must get Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards and Denish Ramdin back in the team.  All three players can strengthen our team and make us win.
The West Indies Cricket Board and the Chief Executive Officer, our friend Ernest Hilaire and Chief Selector Clyde Butts, we are all with you for the good and better West Indies Cricket Team.
We will all rally behind the West Indies and Guyanese will show our unflinching support but we want the best team.
I challenge West Indies Cricket Administrators that with all the efforts of Mr Chetram Singh and Dr Frank Anthony, the Guyana leg of the Pakistan tour will be the best and most successful.