Lendl Simmons, gun for hire
Wed, Jun 8, '16
"The past is history." So proclaims Lendl Simmons' status on WhatsApp. It is the mantra of a man who wants to look forward in life, not moan.
Yet Simmons cannot help but feel aggrieved. He, like Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell, was not considered eligible for selection in West Indies' ongoing ODI tri-series against Australia and South Africa. All those players did not play in this year's West Indies domestic 50-over tournament, instead playing in the Big Bash.
"It's just foolish," Simmons says. "We are available to play but we are not being picked. It's just a stupid rule that they have. Unless that rule changes, no one will play for the West Indies, because I don't think anyone is going to give up franchise cricket to play regional cricket when the fees are not suitable enough. A lot of other teams' players don't play in their domestic [competitions] but still play for their country. This is not the same for us, but such is life."
While wishing West Indies well, Simmons warns that "we could embarrass ourselves because Australia and South Africa are not coming here with their A teams. They are coming here with their full teams."
