By Rajiv Bisnauth

VETERAN cricket commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira believes that Cricket West Indies (CWI) should soon expand its three-member selection committee in a bid to strengthen the process of identifying players for the regional side.
Over the years the various selection panels have come under fire with many blaming the selectors for their “unwillingness” or “inability” to bring the right blend of players together for any one series, but according to Perreira, it’s not logically possible for three wise men to keep themselves updated on the region’s vast cricketing talent pool.
“I really think the squads to Bangladesh were flawed from the start and really they have not produced the kind of sides the Caribbean people were hoping we can have. For example there was no continuity, the likes of Lockhart Sebastien was not left on the selection panel so he could have passed on important information about players, general stats and about their attitude,” Perreira reckoned.

He added, “England, for example, maintained Ed Smith on the selection panel, Australia kept Trevor Hohns from their former panel, so I think the directors on the West Indie board need to relook at this ungently so the likes of a Jeffrey Dujon or Suruj Ragoonath could be added to widen the panel and bring more people into the conversation, more ideas, more thoughts which will ultimately see a better selection panel.”
Now headed by former West Indies off-spinner and head coach, Roger Harper, the panel also includes former Windward Islands batsman Miles Bascombe, Phil Simmons, the new men’s head coach. Perreira feels that as chairman or lead selector, Harper should have a casting vote, since it’s a standard policy.
However,, CWI has changed the structure of its selection committee. In the new regime of president Ricky Skerritt, CWI chose a Selection System Task Force (SSTF), which decided to do away

with the formal selection committee and instead put in place a lead selector as opposed to a chairman, plus one other.
To those two they have added the coach, and the three have the responsibility of selecting West Indies (WI) teams. The captains would be invited to meetings to give their views but wouldn’t have a vote. They would attend at the discretion of the lead selector.
The coach, as one of the three, would be expected to provide the knowledge and the plans, while the captain will forward his view of players’ temperament and spirit on the field of play.
“The other lone selector would have to be convinced of the balance while the lead would have to ensure, when all the views are heard, that the resultant team is not only the best at the time for the job at hand, but also that the panel is in full agreement with the final selection.