Letters To The Editor...

Fri, Nov 29, '02

Should Lawrence Romeo have questioned Michael Holding's stance on the toss controversy in India? Who really should have been named captain to Bangladesh? Why can't Devon Smith get a break?

These are just some of the questions raised by CaribbeanCricket.com readers in letters to the editor sent in recent weeks. Here is a sample of what's on the mind of West Indies cricket fans around the world...

This letter is in response to Lawrence Romeo's criticisms of Mikey Holding in the toss controversy. I don't know if Mr Romeo has been around the West Indies dressing rooms and hotels around the world in such places as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England. Not to mention the West Indian territories.

Well, I have. And so has Mr. Holding. It obvious to me that Mr Romeo hasn't, because if he had, he would not have written what he does do not have first hand knowledge of.

Furthermore, can you prove that members of the West Indies team do not take bribes from bookies to under-perform? Put another way: can you prove that everyone of them are clean? May I remind Mr. Romeo that there are certain things a virgin ought not to comment on.

Mr. Holding risks a libel suit if there is no reasonable basis for what he penned in his weekly column. He has nothing to gain from baseless penmanship.

Kindest regards,
Vijay Kumar



Dear Sir,

I enjoyed Mr John Richardson's 'Time to Blood The Next Skipper'. I think either Wavell Hinds, Chris Gayle or Ramnaresh Sarwan should be picked captain. either of these three would prove to be the perfect choice.

Regards,
Dora



Dear Sir,

I'm a Guyanese living in London, and a huge West Indian fan. Please could someone tell me why Reon King's name doesn't even get a mention when selectors come together in announcing touring squads?

He has a brilliant average in one day cricket, and is one of the fastest bowlers in the Caribbean when fit. Do the selectors know something we don't?

Many thanks,
Lee Nurse



Dear Editor,

I wholeheartedly concur with Mr Jason Thompson's assessment of the Windies selectors faux pas and seeming lack of vision on the choosing of the teams to compete against the cricketing minnows -- Bangladesh.

Somehow there seem to be a pecking order at work here -- the young boys must stand in line and wait their turn. I cannot understand what else young Devon Smith must do to earn his place in the team. He is arguably the best and most orthodox opening batsman in the West Indies. As a die-hard Windies supporter of Guyanese origin, I feel somewhat constrained to join the chorus of those who surmised that perhaps if he had been born in one of the larger Caricom territories such as Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica or Trinidad his acceleration would have been more rapid but common sense prevailed when I recounted that Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards -- the illustrious chair of the selectorial panel also hails from a territory similar to Devon Smith.

Then my only guess is that it must be, the old archaic, unwritten rule of "standing-in-line-to-wait-your-turn" phenomenon at work here.

Lester A. Parkinson
Fort Lauderdale, Florida



Mr Editor,

I quite agree 100% with Wes Hall in protesting the crowd-interruption loss. Never in the history of the game since I was playing in the street in the early 1960's, have I ever heard of a victory being awarded due to crowd interference. It will surely create a precedent.

Now that I am continuing my?Guyanese/West Indian culture after playing Club cricket around Georgetown, Guyana for 13 years, I have now resorted to play softball league cricket in Toronto and even at this organised level of the game, such behaviours are unacceptable. I have not read about such a happening but I believe that the result will be "Match abandoned due to crowd interference".?

Regards,
Munesh Singh (Canada)



Dear Sir,

I enjoy reading all the columns on CaribbeanCricket.com, especially the incisive comments and analysis. I've got to say most of the times, your columnists are on the ball. Jason Thompson's article on the team to Bangladesh was more of a bouncer, good stuff! Trust the WI selectors read your columns on a regular basis.

I recommend someone write an article on what the batting line-up will look like when Brian Lara returns.

Nizam Khan
Canada



Hello Mr Richardson,

What about Shiv Chanderpaul for captain???

Navin