WI batsmen above the law?

THE EDITOR: There is a simple law in sports. If you cannot perform, you must make way for those who can.

This law clearly does not apply to some of the batsmen in the West Iindies Test team.

This sorry lot of underachievers is for some unfathomable reason above the law. One can only speculate as to why this is so. However, it is clear that they are unworthy of such an elevated status and that their tenure on the Test team must now end.

These batters always seem to find a way to shame the Caribbean Test faithful fans even worst than the previous times they did so. I mean, 168 all out versus an Afghanistan President's XI. Really!

Whatever the regional Test selectors are drinking must be really good stuff. And if WI continue with this sad lot of batters my own cry must soon be, "Bartender! Give me some of the same..."

How else can one respond to the shocking fact that none of these stalwarts of Test batsmanship on the regional squad averages over 40 runs? And that the usual suspects never change?

It is past appalling that in two bites at the proverbial cherry versus a second-string Afghan team only two of the WI culprits could barely manage to cross 50 runs. These were Roston Chase at 57 and Sunil Ambris for 66. How can the regional selectors with full knowledge of the regional Test team's proud history expect WI, the people, to accept this as the usual fare?

The WI batters better beware. The members of the full-strength Afghan bowling unit must now naturally be expecting to do even worse to the WI than the President's XI bowlers did. They would have no respect for the Caribbean squad's batters and neither should WI.

If the cupboard is bare of talented batsmen in the region I would have no argument. But it is not. What about Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Brandon King? And why can't the WI selectors fast-track U-19 world champion standouts like Keacy Carty and Shamar Springer onto the Test team? This is the rational thing to do. So as rational thinking continues to evade the regional selectors, let my cry now become, "Bartender!"

FITZROY OTHELLO

Princes Town