'What About Devon Smith?'

Tue, Dec 9, '03

The head of the Windward Islands Cricket Board said he's disappointed young opening batsman, Devon Smith, wasn't chosen to replace the injured Marlon Samuels as the West Indies faces South Africa.

Lennox John, president of the Windwards board, said Sunday he thought Smith should have been picked "because Devon has done exceptionally well at the regional level."

Instead, with Samuels suffering a recurring knee problem, West Indies officials said Barbadian batsman, Dwayne Smith, will take his place in the Test starting Friday against South Africa in Johannesburg.

"I must say the naming of Dwayne Smith and not Devon Smith by the West Indies selectors has taken me by surprise," John said.

He said the performance of 21-year-old Devon Smith, of Grenada, was "reasonable" in his debut series with the West Indies against Australia earlier this year, and that many observers had expected he would be called up again.

Dwayne Smith is the second player to be chosen as a replacement after Trinidad's left-arm spinner, Dave Mohammed, was called up last week to stand in for Jamaican fastbowler, Jerome Taylor.

Taylor was diagnosed as suffering from back problems.

In the past month the West Indies won both the Test series (1-0) and one-day series (3-2) against Zimbabwe. The squad will oppose South Africa in four Tests and five one-day internationals over the next two months.