What more must our boys do to make the West Indies team?

Dear Editor,

When Ricky Skerritt and Kishore Shallow were elected president and vice president, respectively, of the West Indies Cricket Board, nearly everyone in the Caribbean welcomed their appointment and hoped for a new dawn in the fortunes of West Indies cricket. Lo and behold, that was just wishful thinking, as can be seen in the poor performance of the West Indies team in the just concluded World Cup.

I will discuss the performance of the West Indies team in the World Cup in my next letter, but for now I want to make a few comments on the selection of the West Indies A team for the India A team tour. It is ridiculous and disgraceful that not one Guyanese is good enough to make the four-day team, although Guyana has won the regional four-day tournament for the past five years. It is insulting and a slap in the face of our cricketers, because you are telling them that although you are excelling in regional cricket, you are not good enough to make the West Indies team. What garbage!

Editor, the more things change the more it remains the same. Skerritt and Shallow are no better than Cameron and Nanthan. In fact, as far as I am concerned, Guyanese cricketers were far better off during the tenure of Cameron and Nanthan. At least we used to have cricketers in every West Indian team. How on earth are there eight Bajans in the four-day squad? And who is Akim Frazer? How people like Jonathan Carter, Akeem Jordan, Kjorn Ottley, Devon Thomas, Miguel Cummins, Chemar Holder, Shermon Lewis, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge and Jeremy Solozano are in the one-day and four-day squads is mystifying and beyond comprehension.

What more must our boys do to make the West Indies team? I know our Board came in for a lot of flak when they supported Cameron and Nanthan during the West Indies Cricket Board elections, but in hindsight, I think they made the right decision. At least Anand Sanasie had a good relationship with Cameron, which resulted in many of our young cricketers being given opportunities in various West Indies teams.

And make no bones about it; insularity is alive and kicking in West Indies cricket and that fact will never change. I am sorry for West Indies cricket. What a pity! Yours faithfully,

Imtiaz Baccus