The Obvious, The Chosen, The Unlucky

Tue, Sep 10, '02

by THE CARIBBEANCRICKET.COM EDITORS

Carl Hooper's merry band of West Indian cricketers are facing their toughest challenge yet -- a crucial three-Test tour to India, traditionally one of the toughest overseas venues. From dust-bowl wickets to culinary delights that make the stomach queasy, this is not a tour for the weak of heart.

The new selection panel -- Sir Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Joey Carew -- has picked its side for this all-important tour, a side that includes some expected faces and a few surprises. In this analysis, the editors of CaribbeanCricket.com pinpoints the obvious, the chosen and the unlucky...

This is a big, big tour for 'Sir Carl'. On the personal side, the skipper will want to use the flat, batting-friendly tracks to improve on his career average of 36.85, which does no justice to his abilities. In the first Test, Hooper will join Courtney Walsh, Desmond Haynes, Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Clive Lloyd as the only West Indians to appear in 100 Tests, a telling statistic. But the numbers he will most likely want to improve on are these: 19/4/9. That's his record as West Indies captain -- 19 matches with just 4 wins. If he returns home having conquered India on unfriendly soil, Hooper will have won over many of his detractors.

Brian Lara:
It appears the great one is back to full fitness after the elbow injury robbed him of his usual mobility when India toured the Caribbean. If his fitness holds up through the current ICC Trophy tournament, he'll be a danger to Ganguly's bowlers. Lara's last overseas tours -- to Pakistan and
Sri Lanka in Sharjah -- proved he remains the team's most valuable member. Historically, he has not done very well against India and maybe this will serve as a challenge to the double world record holder. In 13 Tests against India, Lara averages a meager 37.67 (poor, by his standards) with only one century. There's something for the great man to fix.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul:
Is there another batsman that feasts more on the diet of Indian bowling? In 11 Tests against the country of his foreparents, the Guyanese lefty averages 92.73, with four of his five career hundreds. The last time Ganguly's men saw the broad bat of Chanderpaul, he helped himself to 562 runs (average 140.50) in the five-Test series. Still a reliable member of the shaky middle order and a lot will depend on his form for the West Indies to succeed in India.

Ramnaresh Sarwan:
Ok, let's face it, there's only one question on everyone's lips when Sarwan's name comes up: "When will he get his maiden Test century?" It's really only a matter of time and temperament in Sarwan's case. He had a semi-decent series (317 runs, avg. 45.28) when Indian visited the Caribbean but his performances will be remembered for silly shots that gifted his wicket away. The talent and ability are there. Is he ready to take the next step?

Chris Gayle:
He has emerged as the senior (and more stable) partner of the West Indies opening tandem and a lot will depend on Gayle's form on this tour. Last time the two teams met, Gayle was inconsistent (he blamed it on the constant change of partners) but a superb series recently against New Zealand has restored his (and our) confidence. There are still many who feel he lacks the technique to survive against a steady diet of spin-bowling on the dust bowls of India but his fan base will quickly add that he can tear apart any bowling attack on his day. They're both right. Which Chris Gayle will
show up on this most crucial tour?

Ridley Jacobs:
Many questions surround the wicket-keeping slot in this team and Jacobs will have a lot riding on his performance, in front and behind the stumps. There is no back-up on this tour and this means he'll (again) be overworked on a taxing tour. If Junior Murray hadn't succumbed to the jitters, Jacobs' career might well be over today but he has proven over the years to be reliable when most needed. A no-brainer that he'd be the #1 wicketkeeper on this tour.

Wavell Hinds:
He will be Gayle's opening partner when this tour starts and will want to use the opportunity to cement a place at the top of the order. After starting his Test career with a bang against the mighty Pakistani, Hinds' career has floundered a bit, only to be resurrected on India's last tour
to the Caribbean, when a century in his comeback innings set minds at ease. But, the pressure is on. There are whispers in some circles that Sarwan should move up to open the batting and Hinds' place is the one in jeopardy. He needs to score heavily on this tour to dismiss such talk. (Quick question: Is he the back-up 'keeper on tour?)

Mervyn Dillon:
He's not Walsh or Ambrose. Hell, Dillon's not even up there with Ian Bishop but, he's the best of the bunch and that's where we have to hang our hat right now. The numbers aren't horrible -- 101 wickets in 27 Tests (31.05 per) -- but he hasn't been the consistent strike bowler the desperately needs. On this tour, he'll spearhead what is viewed as the weakest (and most inexperienced) pace bowling attack in recent memory and with a hungry Indian batting line-up waiting, this is not going to be fun for Dillon.

Pedro Collins:
There was a time, not too long ago, when the Bajan left-arm pacer couldn't crack into this team. Today, he's number two in the pecking order behind Dillon. That's how shallow the pool is, folks. To be fair, Collins should get props for reducing the great Sachin Tendulkar to a sorry sight when India visited the Caribbean earlier this year. The improvements in his general approach to bowling have been incalculable (he even bowls an in-swinger now) but the overall career stats are still a disappointment. Like Dillon, he'll find the tracks (and the rabid crowds) in India to be a different kettle of fish.

Make way for the rookie. Lawson is a newcomer to the Test arena (he has played in two ODIs for the West Indies) and he'll quickly find out that this isn't exactly Busta Cup cricket. The quality of batting he'll face (Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly are licking their chops) is enough to make a grown man run for cover and it would be unfair to expect much from Lawson. The tall Jamaican deserved this pick after a solid 'A' team tour of England and Canada and decent returns in the Red Stripe Bowl. Here's a hope Lawson isn't putting too much pressure on himself. He shouldn't expect much from this tour. We certainly aren't.

Darren Powell:
Like Lawson, young Powell will find out quickly that long tours to India aren't exactly the best baptism for rookie fast bowlers. Let's pray the expectations aren't too high for this pair because, truth be told, they'll probably come home with their tails between their legs. It bears repeating:
India, at home, can be brutal on even the best of the world's bowlers (Glen McGrath, Shane Warne, show your hands). If Powell can hold his head and eschew pace for stump-to-stump bowling (like he did in the Red Stripe Bowl), he will be fine.

Marlon Samuels:
More than anyone else, Samuels will want to treating this tour as make-or-break, especially with all the doubts over his bum knee. It's still unsure if he's fully recovered from the injury, which required surgery and ended his tour to Pakistan/Sri Lanka abruptly. But, time is on his side. Samuels is only 21 and it looked upon as the future of the middle order. This tour could prove to be the perfect place to grab a place in the side, and keep it.

Ryan Hinds:
The baby of the side, this Bajan all-rounder should now be considered a fixture in the senior side. It is clear the selectors have earmarked him as a legitimate prospect and it's now up to the 21-year-old to grab the bull by the horns. His batting in recent times has been a revelation, especially on the recent 'A' team tours and Red Stripe Bowl competitions. In his only two Test knocks, against Pakistan during that sorry tour, he emerged unscathed with an average of 42.66 from four innings. He is clearly being groomed for a leadership role and although he might not get much time in the middle during the India Tests, the tour management should give the kid every opportunity to gain the experience. Like the other youngsters on tour, the expectations for Ryan Hinds are low. That's a good thing.

Mahendra Nagamootoo:
We're not so sure the ambidextrous leggie should really be getting too excited about this tour. This is not exactly the place to give the ball to a leg-spinner and expect much. One only needs to look at Shane Warne's exploits there to see why Nagas probably shouldn't even play in the Tests. Against India, Warne averages 55.45 per wicket. Ouch. Can Nagas be expected to produce better? Then again, he really is the most productive leg-spinner/all-rounder on the regional circuit and was bound to be in the side. If he excels on this brutal tour, we'll be shocked.

Nothing personal against the Jamaican off-spinner but, really, can anyone explain this pick? Statistically, Breese doesn't command a place on a Test touring squad. It's as simple as that. That the selectors opted for an off-spinner who has never really dominated any level of first-class cricket points to a level of confusion among the three Wise Men. If there really was a need for another spinner (and we don't think there is), then Dinanath Ramnarine should have gotten the nod. This is why Breese leads the lucky list. This spot should have gone to either another opener (yes, we're talking about Devon Smith) or a back-up 'keeper to spell Jacobs (Dwayne Hibbert or Wayne Phillips).

Cameron Cuffy:
In theory, we have no problems with Cuffy being in the side. After Dillon, he has to rate ahead of Collins in the pecking order because of his accuracy/consistency. We do take issue with his health and fitness. If Cuffy can't be ready for the ICC mini World Cup, how will he be ready for the rigorous schedule of an Indian tour in three weeks? The confusion/secrecy surrounding Cuffy's surgery and (non) rehab is troubling. Are we seeing a repeat of the recent fiasco when Cuffy was picked, then dropped. Hmmmm.

Is he hurt? Has the injury healed? What exactly is the nature of Smith injury? Why wasn't he picked? What exactly must Devon Smith do to get attention from the selectors? Yes, we are full of questions of this one. Trust us on this one, Devon Smith is on the threshold of greatness. There are certain cricketers that ooze greatness and this is one. He has that extra 'ooomph', that extra spark that tells us this one shouldn't go to waste. The circumstances surrounding Devon Smith is troubling.

Darren Ganga:
Like Smith, Ganga should be a tad disappointed. After a solid tour of Pakistan/Sharjah, Ganga was promptly dumped in favour of Stuart Williams. That's where the selectors got it wrong and by the time this travesty could be fixed, Wavell Hinds had stepped in and grabbed the spot to be Gayle's opening partner. Ganga had a solid 'A' team tour where (we are reliably informed) he was badly undermined by his own teammates. Trinidad bit the bullet and named him captain of the Red Stripe team but the selectors opted to look the other way. Ganga's 15-Test run has produced mediocre returns (563 runs, average 20.85) but he's only 23 and should still be in the long-term plans of the selectors.

Reon King:
Whatever happened to the Reon King of 2000 who was so devastating against the likes of Inzamam, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi? Ever since the injury that ruined his tour of England later than year, King has been a shadow of the fast bowler who was supposed to take over from Walsh and Ambrose. King has been dogged by all kinds of niggling injuries but, still, with the dearth of fast bowling talent in the Caribbean, it would be a shame to sideline King forever. In 14 Tests, 44 wickets at 27.77 per are phenomenal numbers.

Runako Morton:
Are the selectors pigeon-holing Morton as an ODI cricketer? He was picked for the ICC Trophy ODI team but overlooked for India. Wouldn't it have been practical to name him ahead of Breese in this team? At first, we surmised that Morton's non-inclusion was rooted in the indiscipline charges that have dogged him in the past but, if that was the case, he would not have been picked for the mini World Cup. He started off the 'A' team tour to England/Canada with a bang but faded in the end, the victim of poor cricketing temperament. If it's true he's being pigeon-holed, can anyone really blame the selectors?

Kerry Jeremy:
Year-after-year, in regional domestic competitions, Kerry Jeremy has done nothing but take wickets. At his fastest, he bowls a hurried medium pace but his accuracy and unerring line and length are an asset to any bowling attack. We hear Carl Hooper is not a fan of his bowling and that may explain why Jeremy hasn't gotten his due. But, in the long run, Jeremy will outlast Hooper and should soon find himself in the senior team. It is troubling that he can't get a second look from the selectors, not even at the 'A' team level.

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