Dear Editor,
The young Sri Lanka cricket team pulverised the West Indies’ uninspired ‘geriatric’ bowling line-up for a mammoth 189 runs, and then reduced the defending champions to 169 for eight at the end of their allotted twenty overs. The match was certainly a reflection of the future, as the youths’ performance in the match was indeed outstanding.
Batting first in the match, Charith Asalanka (24 years) and Pathum Nissanka (23 years) put on a valuable and threatening 91 off a mere 61 balls for the second wicket. Asalanka’s 68 and Nissanka’s 51 were further supported by their young skipper Dasun Shanaka, who promoted himself in the batting order and slammed 24 runs off only 14 deliveries.
The Sri Lankan score was very challenging for the West Indies batting line-up, which was very strong on paper.
The West Indies, in reply, lost the self-proclaimed Universe Boss Chris Gayle for a single, and, in the same over, Evin Lewis was dismissed for eight runs.
Nicholas Pooran hit a classy 46 runs off 34 deliveries, but he lost the dependable Roston Chase for nine runs. Shimron Hetmyer was in tremendous form, as he stroked the ball to all parts of the ground. As young Hetmyer was playing a magnificent innings, the veterans/geriatrics Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo and Jason Holder went back to the pavilion cheaply.
Hetmyer’s magnificent 81 not–out was indeed heartening, as he continues to embarrass Roger Harper and the West Indies selectors.
Significantly, the Caribbean’s champion wicketkeeper-batsman Pooran and the West Indies’ master stroke-player Hetmyer were the only two batsmen in the team to score runs and bring some respectability to the defending champions’ score.
With that humiliation, the West Indies team are certainly on their way home.
While the Roger Harper-selected team playing in the ICC was taking a licking, the WI selectors were again at their insular selection policy. Announcing the West Indies team to play in the two Test matches in Sri Lanka, the selectors again did not include the likes of Hetymer, Pooran and Romario Shepherd.
Pooran is clearly the best wicketkeeper/batsman in the Caribbean, while Hetymer is the best stroke-player and the leading batsman in the West Indies. Shepherd is a master all-rounder, a genuine utility player who deserves to be selected in any West Indies team.
Rahkeem Cornwall is not physically fit to be selected; Jeremy Solozano is going for a special outing, While Kyle Mayers is a highly questionable selection. The Caribbean cricket fans are again forced to endure the selection of a poor team.
While we do not have a choice but to support our West Indies Team, we must accept our responsibility and our democratic ‘right’ to criticise bad selection.
Sri Lanka is not Bangladesh; they have a stronger batting line-up and they have genuine quick bowlers and clever spinners. The problem with this West Indies Team that is selected is that it lacks a single world class batsman and a single world class bowler. The inclusion of our world class all-rounder Jason Holder is because of pressure! Pressure! Pressure!
The mounting criticism of the likes of Phil Simmons and Roger Harper is bad news, and it is time for them to follow Gayle, Bravo, Russell and Rampaul into retirement.
Sincerely,
Neil Kumar
