da cassino online： I have said for quite some time that the Barbados cricket selectorsneed to be politically correct to get in sync with the several changesin West Indies cricket and for Barbados not to be left behind
Andi thornhill02-Jan-2002I have said for quite some time that the Barbados cricket selectorsneed to be politically correct to get in sync with the several changesin West Indies cricket and for Barbados not to be left behind.How timely then for them to blood a number of youngsters in thetraining squad announced to prepare for Barbados’ first Busta gameagainst Guyana at Kensington Oval.I give them a perfect 10 for their foresight.At this stage it can’t only be about picking a team that must win theBusta Cup or any other cup but ideally we need the type of selectionsthat will present the West Indies selectors with many more optionsthan we are providing at the moment.We are mainly to blame for the fact that Barbados, once looked upon toproduce most West Indies cricketers, struggles these days to get evena handful of players on the regional team.The truth is that our standard at club level may have dropped but Idon’t think it’s any worse than what obtains in the other islands butthe difference is that the other territories recognise the talent ofyoung players and thrust them into the firing line from earlier.Most take a little time to blossom but it’s the long-term investmentthat brings reward to their deliberate gamble.The evidence is commanding: Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, JermaineLawson are all current West Indies players who got early experience inthe senior after being outstanding at the youth level.On the other hand, we have only been left to ponder about what couldhave been for the likes of Ian Bradshaw and Shirley Clarke only ifthey had been exposed much earlier after graduating from the youthranks.I am not trying to say that we assemble our team with all youngplayers but we have to put the promising ones to learn from theseasoned and experienced crop so that there will be a smoothtransition when age, loss of form or whatever cause may make the olderplayers ineligible.The recent selection of the team epitomises this and it should bearfruit once those responsible for choosing the final eleven are braveenough to take the next logical step by including the youngsters thatqualify by merit and circumstance.The exposure we give them could very well determine if we have achance of increasing our numbers in the West Indies team.And surely the pronouncements of coach Roger Harper that West Indiesneed to find tearaway fast bowlers again to win Test matches make anobvious case for the inclusion of both Tino Best and Fidel Edwards inthe first match against the Guyanese.In fact, I believe that Harper’s statement on the return from the illfated trip to Sri Lanka may have influenced the local selectors toinclude them even if they had second thoughts.If his trip to the Bradman Academy in Australia wasn’t going to makehim ineligible for the first match, I would have recommended theinclusion of 16 year-old Martin Nurse in the starting line up for theGuyana match.The belligerent Dwayne Smith and the nonchalant Kurt Wilkinson shouldalso provide stiff challenges for middle order places although I don’tbelieve that both will start.For now, the selectors have made a step in the right direction byheeding the call to give more youth a chance.Once given the opportunity to play it’s up to them to grab it withboth hands.