From: ckhan@bbn.com (Chico Kahn (Room # 20/317 B))
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: The West Indies must select the best team, regardless of region
Date: 16 Apr 1992 16:59:14 GMT
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
Reply-To: ckhan@BBN.COM (Chico Kahn (Room # 20/317 B))
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

In article <1992Apr16.153335.23693@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> leland@donner.uucp (25844-joseph) writes:
>I am distressed and perturbed to hear that some folks in Barbados are
>upset that Cummins has been omitted from the West Indies cricket team.
>My, how short their memories are! Or am I to assume that some Barbadians 
>feel that it is a right for the team to be predominantly Barbadian? 

Aye, it IS terrible if the complaints are because he's Barbadian, but I've
a feeling that it's not entirely the reason.  Cummins has been playing
exceptionally well recently - better that any WI fast bowler except Ambrose,
I'd venture to say and truly DESERVES a place on the team.  If he was 
being replaced because he was in the middle of a poor run (or because of
the return of Bishop), I'd say the Board has a point, but the question is
what has Walsh done for us RECENTLY?  I enjoy watching Walsh bowl and if
you remember, I thought he should have been included in the World Cup 
squad ahead of Benjamin (shows how wrong I can be -- Benjamin had an out-
standing 'Cup), but I think Cummins is the better player right now.

Walsh does have the experience factor in his favour, but isn't this the
perfect time for Cummins' Test debut?  A match at home, on a fast bowler's
wicket, against a weaker team?


>of such players as Hunte, Nurse, Sobers, Holford, Hall, Griffith, sometimes
>Lashley and Bynoe - all Barbadians - and rightly so. They were the best players
>we had!  Since we needed to win, we went with our best, even if it meant that
>most of the players may come from one Island. As the center of the cricketing
>powers keep shifting, it is only natural that over time some Islands will rise
>and fall, so to speak. Remember when the Leeward and Windward Islands did not

Yes, and don't forget the 'Guyanese' team with Butcher, Solomon, Kanhai,
Gibbs, Lloyd, Fredericks et al.


>even have one representative on the team for many years? They did not complain!

Sure they did!  Did you ever hear a Dominican mention the name Sobers in the
context of Shillingford without swearing? :-)


>They knew that their time will, and must come! So guys(some Barbadians), relax,
>"chill out", the good of the team is what matters. We must win!!!

A point I agree with entirely!  But I've said it before and I'll say it 
again - I DO NOT THINK THAT THEY ARE PICKING THE BEST TEAM AVAILABLE!
And I'm afraid that the team is being picked not on cricketing merit,
but on political considerations.


>By the way, I am from Guyana, South America, and have been a player and an avid
>cricket fan of our great teams over the years. FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!

So am I.  Do you realise that with Harper dropped and Hooper injured, there
are no Guyanese on the WI team?  Perhaps, since they absolutely refuse to
give Lambert a shot, (do you guys think I've complained about this enough?)
and Butts and Nandu never likely to make the team and Paul Persaud not
having found his stride yet, it's time for Linden Joseph to make his mark.


>Leland Joseph,
>Bellcore,
>(908) 699 - 5563.

Chico.

Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket