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may be for political rather than for cricket reasons, and his less than stellar performance in the recently concluded 4-day regional tournament may have given Messrs Adams and Law the convenient pretext for doing so.

In reply to Toney

I believe that Blackwood and Rovman are been singled out and benched maybe not only because they are Yardies but because of their ambition to IPL cricket. It's time now for WICB to become mature about the handling of professional cricketers or young ambitious IPL aspirants by not treating them as outsiders but to implement a contractual schedule that allows them to play for both WI and IPL. I think we have enough players in IPL now for WI to rotate them on a match by match basis while others are playing IPL.

In reply to Toney

The dropping of Blackwood may be the best thing to have happened to Blackwood at this point in his career.

You can't have a 31 test average and then lose the hunger for runs in dung heap cricket and expect a guaranteed place in the test team.

Blackwood broke down the door in dung heap...and earned a place in the test team....but it seems he felt he had secured a place with the 30 something performance

These kids must know....it is easier to earn a place than to maintain that place...even in this WI team....

I expect Blackwood to be back with a bang.

I would find a spot for him in the 3rd test.

In reply to Slipfeeler Boy, you are not well. Blackwood can't even command a spot in a CPL team and you talking bout IPL. Blackwood has a mediocre limited overs cricket record.

Now Rovman is a youngster with a special talent and tough mental approach. Rovman WILL be a star for sure in limited overs game and may even play tests one day. But it's early days yet. The youngster was absolutely at sea against Shahad Khan. In IPL he will run into a lot of Shahads along with a guy named Narine. Rovman should invest as much as he can in regional cricket, maybe get a stint in England as well so that when his opportunity comes, whether it be in IPL or Wi set up he will be ready.

But, my son, nobody got it in for no Jamaican cricketers (except Jamaica Dave himself and that is only for specific ones). Jamaica is just going through a bad patch right now with limited talent around. I am sure their stars will rise again. Stop with the stupid conspiracy theories.

In reply to Narper

While I understand some aspects of your reasoning but understandably I would only agree with you when I see the same selection criterion apply to other players not just Blackwood.

In reply to Slipfeeler

Fair enough.
Same standards should apply to ALL.

In reply to Logic

I believe people are suspicious because Blackwood and Andre Russell are very close...I believe they even live in the same home in Jamaica.

And there is nothing wrong in having ambitions for IPL.

In reply to Narper Who said there is anything wrong with having IPL ambitions? As far as I know captain Holder still has those ambitions too. But I am saying nobody is going to victimise Blackwood for his ambitions, especially when they are highly unlikely to be realised.

In reply to Logic

Why do you say this...Blackwood is a youngman with tons of ability...his batting style suits the limited overs game...it is only a matter of time he delivers in that format in dung heap
In addition ...he is a top class fielder

BTW...I am not saying Blackwood has been victimized

In reply to Logic

As usual logic defies you, as your assumptive non-realization of Blackwood's enormous talent is very presumptuous and without merit or validation. I guess it's difficult to conceal your biasses despite your seemingly coherent and objective argument.

In reply to Toney

One word "fcukry"

In reply to Slipfeeler

Blackwood has played a total 19 T20 matches (I imagine these are mostly CPL matches as I am not aware of any interest in from IPL, PPL, BPL, Big Bash or whatever other franchises there are out there).

He averages 12.92 with a highest score of 38 and a strike rate of 80.38. He has not bowled a single ball in CPL.

People like you annoy me to hell. Talk bare emotive skuntery without checking your facts, thus forcing me to waste time producing data that instinctively you should know already. Blackwood is a limited player. He will be rapidly eclipsed by the equally flashy but substantially more gifted Hetmyer.

In reply to Toney

Political??? You mean there are not any cricketing reasons? Blackwood was dropped in my opinion because folks wanted to see if Vishaul Singh was a better bet. Singh has performed for GY/A Team/Practise team at that #5/6 position, which is the one Blackwood had been slotted into.
I think it would be worthwhile trying Blackwood at #3, he is less likely to overthink his game, and just go with his natural instincts. I think Hetmyer is overmatched at #3, and no one else probably wants to bat that early.

In reply to Slipfeeler

I hate to be ragging on Blackwood, but he would have to be an exceptional as a specialist batsman to get a look in for an IPL contract.


Here are some ALLROUNDERS, all with significantly better averages and strike rates than Blackwood, who have either not been considered for IPL contracts or who are in the set up but struggling to get a play:

J.Holder / C.Brathwaite / J.Mohammad / R.Powell (some consolation for you here) / R.Reifer / Kyle Mayers /Jonathan Carter.


Most of these guys are either not much older or not much younger than Blackwood. They are allrounders yet they all have better batting stats than Blackwood at T20 level. You are delusional if you think he is on the verge of an IPL contract.

In reply to Narper

He is being sent a message...will he be smart enough to get it? He is wanted and is a necessary part of the future but he has to have both feet in the water.

In reply to mkcharles Bang on!

In reply to mkcharles
He has to convince the coaching staff that he belongs on the field. Folks cannot blame the regional selectors for not selecting him.

So let me get this straight. Blackwood is dropped because the selectors want to send a message?
Just writing it makes me laugh.

The art of communicating is dead.

In reply to archangel Sometimes, counseling should be followed by something more concrete, nuh?!

I wonder if Blackwood comes back into the team

and fails if you guys will blame the selectors.

In reply to Slipfeeler

I've asked you already if Kraigg shouldn't feel aggrieved as well.

He was dropped in ODI cricket for guys who avg less than 10. Also, he was one of the better ODI opening batsmen in the regional competition.

Kraigg, I'm sure will work on his game and come back stronger.

That example should be proof enough that it's not just a Jamaican thing.

In reply to Logic

While I agree that since we want only the very best performers or players who are hungry for consistent performances for WI, dropping of Blackwood should ignite within him a desire to perform whenever he is restored to his place on the team. With that been said, my only concern now is why Blackwood is the only player who needs to be taught a lesson, when he was a better performer than many others on the team? Despite the victory many on the team are still averaging under 27 for this match series. How is it that others are not been schooled for their sub-par performances?

In reply to Gun_Play

Yes the selectors would have to take the blame for dropping a relatively consistent batsman which might have destroyed his usual confidence as a batsman, as he also may have suffered some psychological effect from been dropped in front of his home crowd ( well let's say home small gathering).

In reply to Slipfeeler

LMAO... That's such a poor statement.

He's not the first person to be dropped.

And if he's that mentally week he will struggle

at international level.


He wasn't being 'relatively consistent'...

that's why he was dropped.

In reply to Gun_Play

Seeing the wood from the trees:

There is an element of consistency in Blackwood's numbers.

A frequency distribution unambiguously highlights that in Blackwood's 39 innings he has batted, 26 have been below his career average of 31 (way below the international standard).

Percentage frequency for scores below 31 average = 67.

This analysis does not even give the full picture since his 31 average is way below the international standard of 40.

But the above should give us early indication of the skewness of his 31 average.

These are not figures that anyone would be proud to write home about.

This analysis can be carried further but there is hardly any point doing so. Early indicators are discouraging and bleak enough.

However the WICB selectors should be consistent and transparent in it's decision making moving forward.

In reply to Logic

Blackwood is a natural T20 player although his ability is not yet reflected in his T20 numbers, I think due to his previous regional 4 day successes he is trying to curb his natural aggressive and explosive shots but now with his place on the test team in jeopardy, I am expecting his T20 numbers to go up significantly next tournament.

In reply to Courtesy

You guys are such hypocrites, one player consistently scored 50+ every other innings so far throughout his career and he is considered mediocre while another player had not even scored a single 50+ in 18 innings but because he is your hommie mediocre batting standards does not apply to him. We are wondering now if we have to wait another 18 innings for him to score another 50+.

In reply to Slipfeeler
Who is teaching Blackwood a lesson? It cannot be the selectors, they selected him in the 13.

In reply to Slipfeeler

Which selectors? Who do you think is responsible for the final 11?

In reply to Baje

In reply to Baje

Law and Order !!!

In reply to Narper

Waiting to see your take on the next team selection.
Law and Order is now in charge, CB give way to L&O.

In reply to openning
As the coach gets to know the players, he is well within is rights to tell CB that he does not want such and such player and to insist that he gets a particular player that he wants.

I am expecting Evin Lewis/Mohammed...to get a look in soon

In reply to openning

This is a tough one....

But I would bring Blackwood in for Hety or Singh...

And it would be not changing the winning squad.

In reply to Narper
The challenge is "who bats at #3"? The coaching staff seems to be grooming Hety for that position. If they see Blackwood as a potential #3, he might replace Hety, but I am more inclined to think that Singh would have to make way for Blackwood, if the selectors want to give Blackwood a look in.

Not selecting Blackwood was no injustice. As has been said on this MB before his test avg is in the low 30s. in this regional 4day competition he fail to produce runs when he should have been dominating. You don't reward failure/mediocrity.

The talk about IPL is laughable at best.

In reply to InHindsight

In Hindsight were you oblivious of the fact that more than half of the current team have test average of much less than Blackwood? Your argument is just illogical regarding fair selection policy. Please do not talk about mediocrity when you are obviously defending mediocre players if by reason you consider Blackwood a mediocre player while he has a higher average than them.

In reply to Narper

I was not talking about this series, my reference is to future team selected.
You are telling us Law and Order is now in charge, hope you will defend Courtney when this MB, dislike players selection for future tours.

In reply to openning

L&O as you call him is not running any show. We finally have a professional who is here to do a job as described in his job mandate.

He will of course feedback to the selectors attitudes and work ethic but his mandate is to coach and build a team and he and the selectors will get along just fine. His track record of coaching young up and coming players tells you that.

The problem is that this is something new for us. We are used to our coaches stepping outside of their mandate and getting involved in the cricket politics.

The squad will remain as is for the foreseeable future whether we all like it or not.

In reply to mkcharles

THAT IS RUNNING THE SHOW...as he has been hired to run

The only problem I see for him is when he asks for Daren Bravo to come back in

In reply to Narper

Will he? Why should he? He has very little experience with Bravo and I don't see anything in Darren's actions that remotely suggest that Darren wants to be back.
If he does ask, as long as he does not do it in the press, I don't think there will be a problem.

The cosch has said openly he is still learning about each players capability. That is understandable since he has not been around these cricketers for more than a part of one FC season

In reply to archangel

He was told that when he was given the water bottles to carry... is that communication enough for you?

In reply to Narper

Trust me when I say that he does not and cannot interfere with the ACTUAL selection of players outside of those in the squad that is handed to him. That is to say his pinion is not sought, but he is not picking any teams. Will it change?...only time will tell.


His mandate is to COACH and to put structures in place surrounding work processes geared at PERFORMANCE for whomever comes into the setup, but to do this based on a clearly identifiable core of players.

In reply to Baje

Blackwood should be the dynamic bat to put the games away because of how quick he can score. If he can get there with runs on the board. He can make that explode. Don't think he is the kind of top order bat when there are struggling for runs. Hetty still young and impulsive. Need an "A Team" tour to get international experience. Blackwood should go after Chase.

KB
Powell
Hope
Chase
Blackwood
Dowrich
Holder
Roach/Taylor
Bishoo
Gabriel
Joseph

In reply to Baje

What happened to Darren, can happen to any of our youngsters, lets get him back playing for the West Indies.
Kraigg
Keiron
Darren
Shai
Chase
Blackwood
Dowrich
Holder
Bishoo
Joseph
Gabriel

In reply to openning

Hw will be back as soon as the lawyers finish eating his pockets. The sooner the better.......

In reply to Courtesy

... especially with Hope. I will be watching this one carefully.

In reply to seaegg99 and openning


You guys make sense. Blackwood should not bat higher than 4 down. That brings him in at 5 or 6.

I do not object to his being dropped but he does belong on the team and should be returned there sooner rather than later.


//

In reply to mkcharles

Who is responsible AND accountable for team performance and results?

If the coach, Law, is 'running the show' then what is Jimmy Adams' role

In reply to Narper

.

AGREE 100% ..along with the rest of the post

In reply to Slipfeeler

We all know that's not the case!

returns from the first two tests...

Braithwaite....0, 14, 9, 43
Powell.........49, 33, 38, 6
Hetmyer....... 11, 20, 1, 22
Hope...........2, 6, 5, 90
Singh.........9, 9, 3, 32
Dowrich......56, 0, 2, 29, 2

Out of 24 combined innings:

TWO scores over fifty
THIRTEEN single digit scores
ZERO centuries