Stop recycling failures, WI

THE EDITOR: Trinidad is well known for recycling failed politicians. It seems that West Indies cricket selectors and administrators are adamant on doing the same.

From the side that lost to Scotland, four were over 30 years old. They are batsmen Johnson Charles, age 34 and Shamarh Brooks, 35, and all-rounders Kyle Mayers, 31, and Jason Holder, 32.

Charles's batting average in ODIs is 27, Brooks's is 31. The third of the top three batsmen was Brandon King, with an average of 32. If that's what your top three batsmen are doing, what kind of total would the team consistently make?

All-rounder Holder’s ODI batting average is 25, his bowling average is 37 runs per wicket, with an economy rate of 5.5 per over. All-rounder Mayers's ODI batting average is 27, his bowling average is 43 runs per wicket, with an economy rate of 5.71. Another all-rounder, Romario Shepherd, has an ODI batting average of 18, with a bowling average of 55 runs per wicket, and an economy rate of 5.37.

Could they be considered all-rounders with those batting and bowling averages? If those are the bowlers the WI is relying on, can they bowl out an opposition? What totals will batsmen make against them?

Darren Sammy is a nice guy and bought the WI players together and was successful when he was captain. But he had a wealth of talented players who polished their skills in international T20 franchises. However, what is the purpose of making the unqualified and inexperienced Sammy coach of the current crop of cricketers?

And how on Earth could Englishman Roland Butcher be appointed a West Indian selector? He only played three Tests, with a batting average of 14, and three ODIs, with a batting average of 19, for England. No wonder the squad he contributed in selecting, failed beyond fans' understanding. There was no West Indian better to be a selector?

I am now reading that another failed selector (2019 -2021), Miles Bascombe, is the new CWI director of cricket. He played two ODIs for the West Indies, full stop. Who were the others that applied for the position?

The above is just a small part of the debacle of West Indies cricket. We need to stop recycling failures, whether cricketers or administrators. Time to bring in young, hungry cricketers, with the former great West Indian players as mentors and administrators, not those who have brought the West Indies to be the bobolee of international cricket.

DECLAN PATTRON

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