**** World Cup Squad announced ****

Quote:This is from a conversation with Michael Holding soon after Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy had been dropped from the West Indies One-Day International team: “West Indies Cricket Board seems to be cutting off its nose to spite its face. They have showed a lack of integrity and moral standing. The selectors should look in the mirror and find a good reason to resign. All of them.”

Question: Who gains from all this?Holding:


“Yes, people gain. Those with their own personal agenda; like the president of the West Indies Cricket Board and the selectors – they gain. They have their personal agendas, they have their reasons for victimising the people who were involved in the abandoned tour in India, and they will be smiling behind the mask.”

Holding is one of the clearest thinkers and straightest talkers you are likely to meet. He is also someone who, like Tony Cozier, holds West Indies cricket close to his heart. And when he says the selectors should resign, he includes in that list Clive Lloyd, the chairman of selectors, who once captained Holding, and West Indies, and held aloft the 1975 and 1979 Prudential Cup trophies.

Quote:On Sunday (January 11) morning Indian time, Lloyd announced the names of the 15 men who would try to emulate those achievements – the list didn’t include Dwayne Bravo or Kieron Pollard.

Dinanath Ramnarine, once a legspinner of limited class and more recently chief of the West Indies Players’ Association, had tweeted the information a couple of days ago, but it was hard to believe.

Would the West Indies Cricket Board actually “cut off its nose to spite its face”?

They had already punched that nose and bloodied it by dropping Bravo and Pollard from the ODI squad for South Africa and making Jason Holder the captain.

The sweetest thing is that Holding makes them mad as hell but they are powerless to stop him since he is employed by (I think) Sky.

I am pretty sure that over the years a few (from the WICB) may have tried behind the scenes to muzzle him. I just hope that Sky gave them the appropriate middle fingered response.

Its is sometimes quite painful listening to the Caribbean commentators as they avoid any type of criticism unless it's the opposition they are criticizing.

It's an okay squad.

From a tactical perspective, dropping Dwayne and Pollard for Sammy and Russell is no big deal. Dwayne's the better bowler, but I'd say Sammy and Russell are currently better batsmen.

From other perspectives, dropping Dwayne and Pollard was wrong. Keep them for the WC, bench them for others if necessary, and then drop them after the WC and rebuild.

Trini

What is you playing 11 Trini?

I can only identify 4 or maybe 5 specialist batsmen!!!

I agree with you on how Bravo and Polly's selection should be treated!

Is this Carter chap any good?

1.  Gayle
2.  Smith
3.  Bravo
4.  Samuels
5.  Simmons
6.  Ramdin
7.  Carter
8.  Holder
9.  Taylor
10. Roach
11. Benn

My 11 would be:

Gayle
Dwayne Smith
Darren Bravo
Marlon Samuels
Lendl Simmons/Ramdin as keeper
Sammy
Russell
Narine
Badree
Roach
Jerome Taylor/Cottrell

I'd drop captain Holder and let Sammy captain.

Ramdin at 5 makes it a very weak batting lineup for me!


I always believe in playing your best keeper otherwise you are going back to a bit part team, so Ramdin plays.


This looks more like a t20 team with Sammy at 6.....


Is Badree fit?