CWI chief selector should apologise to Bravo

THE EDITOR: The comments by Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dr Kishore Shallow, making it abundantly clear that there is no policy that makes a player ineligible to represent the West Indies because of age, show that the chief selector was operating on a false narrative.

Here is a player, Darren Bravo, on top of his game, the highest scorer in the recent regional tournament, leading his team from the front, the brightest light of all teams, and finding himself in a dark place.

We all love to see players in any discipline retire after an illustrious career as age and injury take hold of the body, but this kind of forced withdrawal from the game can only bring pain and resentment. So Bravo is out, not by a googly or doosra, or an in-swinging yorker, but out by the 12 months – there are players on the team who would be 37 by 2027 and Bravo, 38.

I am therefore forced to ask: Is insularity re-emerging in WI cricket or did it ever leave? Would that false narrative have been presented if any of the three games was being played in Trinidad?

To rectify the situation, an apology, at least, should be offered to Bravo for the misrepresentation by the chief selector. He, as well as the entire selection panel, should resign or asked to resign.

To know that your words in future would not be trusted is enough for any selection panel to resign. Is this not expected to happen because we are considered Third World? My final question is: Why are we Trinidadians/Tobagonians not speaking out? Is it because one of our watchwords is tolerance?

LARRY HAREWOOD

Couva