After a brief pause for carnival, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, it’s time to commence candid discourse about cricket once again, now that the former is no longer in focus.
The WI selectors have named a squad for the Test tour of Sri Lanka—November 14 to December 3.
It’s an interesting one. Predictably, they’ve kept faith with the majority of players that gained success on the memorable last tour to Bangladesh. The battle to groom a successful opening pair continues, and patience has worn thin for Powell. Like Santa Claus, he visits WI teams every so often, but clearly, one must think this is the end of the road. The temporary experiment with Hope hasn’t worked, and his scores in the middle order in the Best vs Best matches, is surely where he seems more comfortable.
Powell’s replacement is the T&T opener Jeremy Solozano, a left-handed batsman (I couldn’t care for the new word batter just yet – dictionary definition being a flour mixture), who’s come through the system from WI-U19s, T&T Red Force, and WI – A-Teams. Like most WI batsmen, his first-class record could be better, but personally, I’ve known him to be a good, hard-working player that will give it his all. I wish him the very best.
Another young lefty, Barbadian Moseley misses out, as he’s not had the form one would have hoped for after a successful A-Team tour to NZ in the recent past.
Let’s face it, there isn’t much that one can say regarding the makeup of the squad. Essentially, our best players have been selected…..or have they?
I’ve written repeatedly about the group of young and exciting fast bowlers that number quite a few currently available. Top-class fast bowlers can transform ordinary teams into winning combinations. I’ve cried out as loudly as I can for those with ears that matter, for urgent grooming of these young, fit, fast, and exciting talents. They have the potential to be game-changers.
Literally, all have been overlooked.
And don’t give me the rubbish statement that we’re heading to a spin fest in SL. If so, then do away with Roach, Seales, and Gabriel, and open the attack with Jimbo and Chase. In my view, it’s a nonsense argument. Just remember, the late, great Malcolm Marshall’s first tour was to India where he would debut at Bangalore on the 15 December 1978. The rest is history. Thing is, we don’t even have to go that far back. What’s been the story with introducing Jayden Seales to the WI pace attack? It has had the impact of making a somewhat ordinary attack into a much more competitive one.
Instead, we’ve packed the squad with Veerasammy Permaul, Cornwall, Chase, and Warrican. I have somewhat of a soft spot for Permaul. His regional record is outstanding, but is this a case of been there, done that? Will he really move past Jimbo or Warrican in a starting XI or is this another holiday tour for him? Another Powell-type visitor that flatters to deceive, perhaps? If it were up to me, I would easily have made room for the young Guyanese left-arm spinner in Gudakesh Motie and/or Akeal Hosein. The future is now.
More things to ponder
And let’s talk a bit about Shannon Gabriel at this point. Unmistakably unfit and way off the radar in recent times, would it not have been opportune to carry along a Chemar Holder or Anderson Philip?
Let me also send a message to our middle-order players, Hetmeyer and Pooran, in my view cannot be far away. If you want to stick around, push yourselves and earn your place, as these young pros with tremendous talent must be considered sooner rather than later…..if they desire to do so.
A Test Team isn’t complete without a quality gloveman. Young Da Silva’s keeping has been excellent and has come along by leaps and bounds, but one would hope a return to his batting form and confidence follows suit. It was disappointing to see no other keeper/batsman pushing for a place in the warm-up matches. Fierce competition is always healthy.
As always, I wish the team happy and safe travels. Make no mistake, SL is going to be a far tougher unit at home, especially as their T20 outfit has had some confidence-boosting success vs the WI in the World Cup. I guarantee you, that winning feeling will naturally spill over to any other format.
Best wishes to the team, coaches, and support staff.
Here’s the full squad 
Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jeremy Solozano, Jomel Warrican.
