… as they were humiliated at the ICC World Cup

by Neil Kumar.
THE young Sri Lanka cricket team pulverised the West Indies uninspiring ‘pensioner’ bowling line-up for a mammoth 189 runs and then reduced the defending champions to 169 for eight at the end of their allotted 20 overs. The match was certainly a reflection of the future as the youths’ performance in the match was indeed outstanding.

Batting first in the match, Charith Asalanka, 24 years old, and Pathum Nissanka, 23, put on a valuable and threatening 91 off a mere 61 balls for the second wicket. Asalanka 68 and Nissanka 51 were further supported by their young skipper Dasun Shanaka who promoted himself in the batting order and slammed 24 runs off only 14 deliveries.

Sri Lanka’s score was very challenging for the West Indies batting line-up which was very strong on paper.

The West Indies, in reply, lost the self-proclaimed ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle for a single and in the same over Evin Lewis was dismissed for eight runs. Nicholas Pooran hit a classy 46 runs off 34 deliveries. However, he lost the dependable Roston Chase for nine runs. Shmiron Hetmyer was in tremendous form as he stroked the ball to all parts of the ground.

As young Hetmyer was playing a magnificent innings the veterans/pensioners Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo and Jason Holder went back to the pavilion cheaply. Hetmyer magnificent 81 not out was indeed heartening as he continues to embarrass Roger Harper and the West Indies selectors.

Significantly, it was the Caribbean champion wicketkeeper/batter Pooran and the West Indies master stroke-player Hetmyer, the only two batsmen in the team who scored runs and brought some respectability to the defending champions. With the humiliation the West Indies team are certainly on their way home.

While the Roger Harper-selected team playing in the ICC was taking a licking, the WI selectors were again at their insular selection policy. The selectors announced the West Indies team to play in the two Test matches in Sri Lanka. Again the selectors did not include the likes of Hetmyer, Pooran and Romario Shepherd.

Pooran is clearly the best wicketkeeper/batter in the Caribbean, while Hetymer is the best stroke-player and the leading batter in the West Indies. Shepherd is a master all-rounder, a genuine utility player who deserves to be selected in any West Indies team.

Rahkeem Cornwall is not physically fit to be selected. Jeremy Solozano is going for a special outing, while Kyle Mayers is a highly questionable selection. The Caribbean cricket fans are again forced to endure the selection of a poor team.

While we do not have a choice but to support our West Indies team, we must accept our responsibility and our democratic ‘right’ to criticise bad selection.

Sri Lanka are not Bangladesh, They have a stronger batting line-up and they have genuine quick bowlers and clever spinners. The problem with this selected West Indies team is that it lacks a single world-class batter and a single world-class bowler.

The inclusion of our world-class all-rounder Jason Holder is because of pressure. Pressure! Pressure! The likes of Phil Simmons and Roger Harper are bad news. They are failures and it is time for them to follow Gayle, Bravo, Russell and Rampaul.