Tony Becca
BENNETT KING, the new West Indies coach, is off to a flying start.
A few days after taking up his job, the Australian moved to silence those who believed that he would have attempted to change the style of the
players when he said he had no intention of doing that that what he wants them to do is to play their own style in a much more effective and meaningful way.
That was a good shot. That was what the players and the fans wanted to hear, and a few days later the players praised him for his approach.
"He seems to know what he's about," said Wavell Hinds. "He seems to put the players first and looks to get the best out of them each and every day."
For those who believe that Test cricket is for the best, however, and that part of the West Indies' failure to win matches in recent years is the presence of too many young and inexperienced players in the team, King played an equally good shot last Thursday at the Three W's Oval in Bridgetown.
According to King, one of the things he plans to do is to erase the word "potential" from West Indies cricket and that would be great.
POTENTIAL
According to the man who will select West Indies teams, potential leaves too much to chance and he would rather a player who clearly demonstrates that he has the capacity to perform at the highest level.
"I hate the word potential," said the Australian. "To me it means something that has not been seen and I would rather be able to see a player produce."
That is saying it as it is, and hopefully he means it.
Remembering the many great players around the world who were selected into Test teams as young, inexperienced players, including the likes of Sonny Ramadhin, Alfred Valentine and Gary Sobers of the West Indies, nothing is wrong with selecting young, inexperienced players.
Apart from continuity, and preparing for tomorrow, young players can only learn from exposure, maybe because of their spirit of adventure, because of their fearlessness, on top of that, some of them, the good ones, bring a freshness, an excitement to the game.
What is wrong, however, is when there are too many in the same team, when they are obviously not good enough, and that has been the West Indies problem in recent years.
Based on the selection of teenage batsmen who have played only a few first-class matches, who have scored only one first-class century and sometimes none based on the selection of young bowlers who have also played only a few first-class matches and who have taken only a few wickets and sometimes none, the West Indies selectors, it appears,
have been grasping at straws either that or despite their own experience at the highest level, they do not appreciate what it takes to perform at that level.
The only player who can reasonably and logically be expected to perform at the highest level to score runs, to take wickets and to compete in Test cricket is a player who has performed at the lower level.
Unfortunately for the West Indies, however, the selectors in recent years apparently did believe that, and that may be the reason why, they consistently selecte players simply because they are young, and can reel off a cover drive or two, and can bowl fast or can spin the ball. Either that or it is because a selector is hoping that if one of the many becomes a great player he will be remembered as the one who was knowledgeable enough and bold enough to have selected him.
GENIUS
Every now and again the game throws up a genius. West Indies cricket has done so a number of times, and apart from being able to recognise one, the selectors should always accommodate him.
Without even thinking about the many 'potentially' great players who may have disappeared, not because of talent but because they were thrown in too early, Test cricket should be the best against the best. It should therefore be reserved for the best. That being so and without taking into account their ability in the field, every batsman selected should have demonstrated that he has the capacity, not the potential, to score runs. Also, every bowler selected should have demonstrated that he has the capacity, not the potential, to take
wickets, and the only way he can do that is by scoring runs or taking wickets.
From West Indian fans who have been hurting because of selectors who have been
sending cadets to war and because of players who behave like prima donnas, good shot Bennett King. Hope you have a few more to come.
