Tony Becca
PLAYER ROTATION in international cricket is the topic of the day and, who's to tell, it may not be long before it becomes the order of the day.
According to a number of players around the world, based on the amount of Test matches and one-day internationals being played these days they are over-worked, they are burnt out, and in order to protect them, in an effort to extend their careers, rotation is the way to go.
The question however, is this: will it be good for the game?
Traditionally, a contest is between the best and, because of that, each team, barring injury or illness, is expected to put out its best team. That means it is expected to select its best players. Any departure from that would, it appears, weaken the contest and that is one reason why it would not be good for the game.
On the other hand, however, over-worked and burnt-out players cannot be at their best, by including them in teams when they are so fatigued that they cannot give of their best, those teams will not be as strong as they could be. It is better, for the team and the game, if they are replaced, and by ensuring that it is the best against the best, that the players are all fit, motivated and rearing to go, that is one reason why it could be good for the game.
In the West Indies, however, there seems to be another reason for the rotation of players.
According to captain Brian Lara, the reason is not that the players are over-worked and burnt-out, and particularly as far as their fast bowlers are concerned, it is not that they are breaking down with injuries.
RESTING PLAYERS
According to Lara, who wants to extend his Test career, who is not prepared to burn himself out in one-day internationals and who, as he has hinted, may not play all seven matches against Zimbabwe, it is not, but for himself, a way of resting players.
According to the great batsman, it is a way of providing opportunities for as many players as possible; it is a way of searching for and finding good players - and that sounds good.
There is one question, however - and it is this.
Are any of the players, but for Lara himself, probably Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle at their best, good enough to be rotated?
The answer, it appears, is no - not with the batsmen so inconsistent and the bowlers so young and inexperienced.
Maybe the West Indies policy of rotation will be only for the current series against Zimbabwe. Maybe the West Indies have looked at Zimbabwe and have decided that they are so weak that they can use them as guinea pigs. Maybe that is why Denesh Ramdin, batting ahead of Lara, Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo and Dwayne Smith, batted at number four in both matches, and why Jerome Taylor, after bowling well in both matches, has been rested for the third and fourth matches, and why Bravo has also been omitted from the team.
A WEAK TEAM
Lara may well be right. Maybe Zimbabwe are really so weak that it does not make sense for his top batsmen, including himself, to be plundering their bowlers while others who could use the experience sit and watch or for one bowler to be preening himself against them while others, who probably could do the same, do not get an opportunity to show their colours.
It is still strange, however, that the man who was given the opportunity to bat at number four was wicketkeeper Ramdin and not one of the batting all-rounders Bravo and Smith, and that in the rotation policy, Taylor and Bravo, one who performed in the first two matches and one who did not, two youngsters who need to be playing as much as possible, have been rested from the West Indies team.
Rotation is good for cricket and it can be good for the West Indies especially as they prepare for the World Cup. Rotation, however, should involve the experienced players, it should not involve the young and less experienced players who need to develop their skills - and at this stage, certainly not those who perform.
