Up to 4:00 p.m. today, opener Devon Smith, all-rounder Ryan Hinds and Jerome Taylor had not yet arrived in Guyana because of (you can't make this stuff up!) missed flights and faulty cancellations.

Ryan Hinds actually turned up at the airport in Barbados with a ticket in his hand, only to be turned away by Caribbean Airlines.  His ticket had been cancelled.

Tony Deyal, the WICB spokesman who's a master at coming up with excuses, explains:

"What happened was (and I have documentary proof) is that we had paid for tickets for Hinds and Collins.  We then told BWIA to cancel the ticket for Collins since he was no longer travelling.  CAL also cancelled Hinds in error.  They have acknowledged the error and has arranged for Hinds to travel tonight to Guyana. Please note that I have proof of this."

Devon Smith, he explained, was not scheduled to be in Guyana until tonight.  No explanation.  

What about Jerome Taylor? 

"I understand that Taylor missed his flight and we have not heard from him."

Unbelievable.

I have to imagine head coach John Dyson can't be pleased with having to run practice sessions with just 11 players (remember, Pedro Collins is out and won't be replaced).  Against a clearly superior team, with no pre-series camp, Dyson must be a furious man.

Not so, says Deyal:

"Our players were involved in the last round of the Carib series which ended yesterday.  The coach thought it was better to continue playing under competitive conditions than to have a camp which is essentially a simulated activity doing the things they should be doing in a competition - fielding, batting, bowling etc.

The best practice for cricket is cricket.  Batting in the nets is different from batting in a match, regardless.  This is the philosophy.  A hundred in a match is better than banging the ball about in the nets."

OK, now I'm beginning to question Dyson's sanity.

You mean the Jamaicans actually benefited from their game against the Windwards that ended in two days? 

The same round where the Bajans didn't play at all?

The Trinidad & Tobago players?  Yeah, they beat up on amateur college cricketers in a game that was hardly competitive.   

Sure, Chanderpaul and Sarwan got some time in the middle against the Leewards but do you really think Dyson's team is better prepared because of what passes for first class cricket in the Caribbean?    Didn't think so.

I put it to Deyal that someone needs their head examined.  He had a prompt answer:

"While the standard of the matches are not as high as they should be, they are still competitive and that is what sharpens up players."

So, here we are, three days away from a home series and net practices with three players missing.  

Actually, normalcy.