Stephen VasciannieHERE IS my West Indies cricket team for the First Test match against South Africa, listed in batting order:
1. Christopher Gayle
2. Wavell Hinds
3. Brian Lara
4. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
5. Carl Hooper (Captain)
6. Marlon Samuels
7. Ridley Jacobs
8. Mahendra Nagamootoo
9. Franklyn Rose
10.Nixon McLean
11.Courtney Walsh
Now for the defence... First of all, please note that this team is selected without regard to sentiment, insularity or "frennism". It is predicated on the assumption that the only way to lift the West Indies cricket from the doldrums is to select the team strictly on the basis of merit within the boundary. The selection of recent West Indies teams has, in my view, departed from this central criterion in some respects, with some selectees being dropped on the basis of unspecified "attitude" problems.
Tell us what those attitude problems are, or leave the player on the team, I say.
Secondly, by way of general comment, I acknowledge an apparent paradox in my 11. It is this: Barbados prides itself, with some historical justification, as the cricketing powerhouse of the region, and indeed, this year's Bajan aggregation has captured the Busta Cup. And yet, if my team strolls on to the verdant expanse of the Bourda cricket ground, there will be no nationals of Bimshire among them. This situation is bound to trouble some Barbadian pundits (and perhaps others) but, in truth, we must play the hand we receive.
Quite frankly, Barbadian stalwarts such as Holder and Reifer are now below the bar at test level, and it would be difficult to include them merely to satisfy nationalistic concerns. Similarly, at least one Bajan with a possible claim has not played in the Busta Cup competition, so he is disqualified from consideration under the prevailing rules. More generally, the Barbadian team for the Busta Cup relied largely on team cohesion, collective strategy, determination, and a fair degree of luck, to take home the regional title. And, we may note in passing, they may also have benefited (in some vague, immeasurable sense) from the absence of some of the stronger players from other regional teams, away on test match duty in Australia.
So, though it may give us cause to pause, the non-inclusion of a Barbadian national on the team may be justifiable. But what about Sherwin Campbell? As vice-captain of the team to Australia, and as a semi-dependable opener in the past, Campbell is worthy of consideration, but he fails to make the grade on two counts, namely, his extravagantly poor recent form, and questions concerning injury. He remains a prospect for the future, but, you know, someone should show him how to use his feet, not only for running between wickets, but to deal with good pace bowlers.
So then, in the opening position, we have Gayle and Hinds. Gayle's Busta Cup record, for both last year and this year, speaks for itself; and although, beyond the boundary, one has the sense that he could benefit from senior guidance as to temperament, on the field, his shot selection and strokeplay indicates promise perhaps even more promise than Hinds. Hinds, however, has the advantage of determination, and if he is allowed to play his game, without textbook advisors looking too often over his shoulder, Hinds too will flourish.
One down, Brian Lara, no argument. Because there are people who count how many times I mention that name in my column (as an index of fixation), I will not call it again. Suffice it to say that even when this cricketer "fails", with a test average in Australia of 32.1, and a one-day average of 53.1 (or 46.5, depending on which paper you read), he is still the leading batsman in the region. The batsman mentioned by name once in the foregoing paragraph should be followed at number 4 by the reliable Chanderpaul. True, Chanderpaul seems to have lost some of his early enthusiasm for the game, and injury now stalks him from the Boardwalk to the Gulf of Carpentaria; nonetheless, even when his mind is on testosterone and the pleasures of youth, Chanderpaul is a good bet for a steady score of 69 plus or minus five. Then he will flash outside the offstump once too often.
Chanderpaul followed by Hooper: more runs on the tins, and with Hooper in form, runs with style. Late cuts of elegance, off-drives of class, a coolness and even a distant arrogance that can undermine most opponents. Now, the baby troubles are behind him, and now, too, there is emotional stability, as evidenced by his 700 plus runs in the Busta Cup. There would seem to be no manner of reasoning that could justify the prolific Hooper's exclusion from a team that desperately needs run-getters in the ranks.
Within the Busta boundary, he has excelled beyond expectations, remember that.
Samuels and Jacobs automatically select themselves for positions 6 and 7.
Shifting sands
The former, with an average of 34.4, and the latter, with an aggregate of 288 runs (second only to our leading batsman, named or unnamed) were steady sailors on an Australian tour during which mal de mer was prevalent. And they both have grit: Jacobs kept well, and kept his head under pressure, while Samuels insisted on playing his own game, even in the unfamiliar circumstances of Australia, dubious umpiring decisions and scientific cricket.
With respect to the bowlers, I stand on shifting sands. Naturally, old man river must be allowed to keep rolling on, and must be encouraged to stretch his record from the ready reach of Muralitharan (the man with that unusual action). But, beyond Walsh, whose cricketing acumen is unreasonably underrated, the bowling positions are open to argument. I come down, eventually, in support of Nagamootoo, McLean and Rose, but with no great enthusiasm. Nagamootoo will help as a stock spinner, and add variety to the line up, but really, he is no Shane Warne. McLean has pace and intention, but limited direction, and seems to have difficulty following on the field instructions from his captain.
Rose, now, seems to have difficulty following instructions on and off the field, but in fairness, when in full bloom, he can match the best medium pacers in terms of line and length. And the captain?
There are four possibilities: (1) Walsh as an interim leader until something gels, but this approach may be pointlessly speculative; (2) the return of the "Prince", but this could be unsettling given recent history; (3) Ridley Jacobs, but he has shown no pronounced leadership skills, and doesn't even captain his Leewards XI; and (4) Hooper, who, as captain of Guyana, has made tons of runs, and has guided a young side with good judgement.
Hooper's past indiscretions cannot be held against him forever; and as long as Jimmy Adams in such poor form that he cannot make the team as a batsman, then Hooper deserves the position on merit. Here endeth the defence.
Stephen Vasciannie, an attorney-at-law, teaches at the University of the West Indies.
