John Campbell Indies and the West
You can really tell that West Indies cricket is in bad shape from the squad selected to meet England in the first of three Test matches set for the Kensington Oval in Barbados, starting Wednesday.
Two newcomers — John Campbell of Jamaica and Shamarh Brooks of Barbados — have been included in the 13-man squad and from all indications at least one — Campbell — is certain to play.
Campbell is 25 years old. Brooks is 30. Campbell is averaging 30 from 55 matches in first-class cricket, Brooks is averaging 33 from 67.
Now, it seems to be an act of desperation that a man who is averaging 30 per first-class innings can walk into the West Indies team, whether he is Jamaican or not. Campbell is a lovely fellow and shows a lot of promise, but promises do not build a kingdom. I hope that he proves me wrong, but my fear is that the England bowlers will make his life miserable, maybe because the administrators in the region did not pay enough attention to him as a younger man, to work out the flaws in his batting, and determine how come he is so intermittent, as his average shows. Doesn’t it stand to reason that if he passes 30 in an innings against England, he would be a success?
Brooks is a little better, average wise, and 33 might be a good Cash Pot number, but, again, it’s unconvincing.
Gone are the days when you had to be averaging over 50 in first-class cricket to even nudge a selection panel. And there were many who were doing that and could not get through the front door.
Will those days return? Not with this crop of administrators who still refuse to postpone their ego trips and select the best West Indies teams.