Rutherford should know what is required of him, says CWI Lead Selector Roger Harper

By Brandon Corlette

Selection of the West Indies T20 World Cup team has raised many eyebrows, from those of the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, to those of the President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali. Lead Selector of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Roger Harper, has described the selection process as a very difficult task, a debatable process that took more than three hours.

Despite being under pressure, Harper continues to face the music to facilitate the media. He appeared on Tuesday’s Mason and Guest radio programme and shed some more clarity on the non-selection of Guyana’s Sherfane Rutherford.
Harper has disclosed that Rutherford should have been aware of what is required of him in terms of fitness, since he was left out of a previous West Indies squad as a result of fitness issues.
“When you look at Sherfane, remember (that) Sherfane and Shimron Hetmyer were left out of the squad at the beginning of 2020 for fitness issues, not meeting the fitness standards. Two weeks after that, Hetmyer passed that test. Since doing that test, I do not know whether Sherfane made himself available for Guyana. He has not made himself available, he has not been around for any testing or anything like that; that is a totally different situation.
“Having been in the West Indies set-up, he must understand what the requirements are,” Harper disclosed.

Harper, a popular Guyanese, added: “I am saying he played for West Indies. He got omitted from the squad for not meeting the fitness standards, so that is a question for Rutherford. Sherfane should know what is required of him. I find it very difficult to understand what is required.”
The Lead Selector disclosed that CWI had fitness tests for Super50 back in January, and a test was conducted in June. Harper also made it clear that he did not say the players are not fit, but that they failed to meet the fitness requirements. This makes one wonder if there is a drastic difference between being unfit and failing to meet fitness requirements.
Asked if the franchise tests (T20 leagues) of CWI fitness tests can be used for testing these players’ fitness, Harper offered: “Generally, I would say it’s CWI performance test, but you will have to speak with the Sports Science Department.”
Rutherford had a good Caribbean Premier League (CPL), wherein he scored 262 runs in 10 innings at an average of 37.4. He scored three half-centuries, including a best score of 58. He was also snapped up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rutherford, at just 23 years old, has tasted championship wins in the Pakistan Super League, the Indian Premier League, and now the Caribbean Premier League.
Harper has noted that Chris Gayle and Ravi Rampaul are the players, according to his knowledge, who have received medical exemptions.

West Indies Squad to T20 World Cup: Kieron Pollard (captain), Nicholas Pooran, Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas and Hayden Walsh Jr.
Reserves: Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein