More youngsters should have been selected for WI at T20 World Cup

…says Sir Clive Lloyd

Former West Indies captain Sir Clive Lloyd strongly believes that the West Indies missed a trick when they selected more experience players in contrast to more youngsters for the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

West Indies suffered four defeats and recorded one win in a poor T20 World Cup campaign. Before the tournament bowled off, many had expressed dissatisfaction with the squad selected, and some had opined that the likes of CPL breakout stars Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Sherfane Rutherford and Dominic Drakes should have been selected.

Sir Clive has a similar opinion, especially since the 2022 T20 World Cup looms in Australia. Sir Clive would have liked to see these youngsters gain experience at the 2021 T20 World Cup, and for the 2022 edition, they would have been better players, equipped with more knowledge.
“In a year’s time, we have to play this cricket again. So, we should have to teach these youngsters, who would have gathered a lot from watching the opposition. Now we will have to take a new set of players” (to the next T20 World Cup).
“We missed a trick in not sending out some of those youngsters. Even if they failed, at least you know for sure that they tried their best, and at the end of it, there would have been a better set of players in a year’s time,” Sir Clive said on the recent Mason and Guest programme.
Rutherford, who continues to perform around T20 leagues globally, finished the 2021 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with 262 runs at an average of 37.42. However, Cricket West Indies Lead Selector Roger Harper noted that Rutherford failed to meet fitness requirements, hence his non-selection at the T20 World Cup.
Shepherd finished as the joint highest leading wicket-taker with 19 wickets (including super-over) and scored useful runs with the bat, but he “just missed out on a spot” selection, according to the Lead Selector.
Odean Smith, who was the fastest bowler in the recent CPL and finished with 18 wickets, missed selection owing to fitness issues, according to CWI. (Brandon Corlette)