The Opening Question

Who will be partnering the captain Kraigg Brathwaite when the West Indian openers walk out to bat against England at Lords in July?

The Contenders:

Tagenarine Chanderpaul (10 Tests, 560 runs, avg 32) has finished the season with just over 300 runs and an average below 30. His solitary century against the Windwards at Coolidge in Round 5 boosted his average although it remains shy of what he would have hoped for. Failures in all six of his innings in Australia (two tests & a warm up game) put significant pressure on him and unfortunately, he has failed to return to form. Still quite possible that he will make the squad but his slot opening the batting must be seriously in doubt, for the short term at least.

Kirk McKenzie (3 Tests, 170 runs, avg 28 ) similar returns in the domestic season as Chanderpaul, he will be disappointed that despite getting starts in seven of his innings this season, he only reached 50 once. In Australia, batting at three, he got starts in all of his innings across the two tests, including a fifty at Adelaide. Very likely to keep his place in the test squad and likely to be considered for the opening role but may well stay at number three.

Zachary McCaskie (uncapped) has had a very hot and cold championship with fine scores of 101 & 87 mixed into a number of failures. Overall, scored slightly better than Chanderpaul & McKenzie and did so at a much better strike rate. A probable for the test squad and a possibility for the opening position with Brathwaite.

Mikyle Louis (uncapped) young right hander from St. Kitts who has made followers of the regional tournament sit up and take serious notice this season. He has been very productive and consistent, with three centuries and as many half centuries. Leads the run aggregate with nearly 700 runs at an average just under 50. Needs to improve outside of the off stump but otherwise looks to be a very fine young player. Plays straight superbly and hits the ball hard. Decent strike rate and seems well composed at the crease. If he does not make the trip to England, it will be a major surprise and disappointment.

Jeremy Solozano (1 Test, dnb) The 28 year old opener from Trinidad has had a similar season to McKenzie and Chanderpaul, with a real mix of failures, starts and a few decent innings. I am sure that the selectors will mention him but it is doubtful that he has done enough for serious consideration.

Kieran Powell (44 Tests, 2113 runs, avg 25) the veteran from Nevis is now aged 34 and likely not up for serious consideration. He had another modest season with a single century against CC&C his highlight. Still scores at a brisk rate but that is unfortunately his only real strong point at this point. The selectors will surely look toward a younger player going forward.

Kraigg Brathwaite meanwhile has been quietly going about his business, accumulating over 600 runs (second in the aggregate to Mikyle Louis) at an average which as it stands, is over 50.

Note (Brathwaite is currently 81* vs WI Academy. If he converts this innings into a century, it will be his third of the season)

In reply to 4REALQUICKS

even tough it is his first season, Mikyle Louis has done enough to merit that spot, I have seen others with little or no first class experience tried and fail, so he deserves his chance

In reply to bird

Personally, I believe he simply MUST be given the opportunity. If they fail to reward such consistent performance, they do nothing but stay as they are or even go backwards as a team...whilst ruining the confidence of a young man who is obviously very talented and patently in great form.

Is he the finished article, no...of course not...but he looks far better than any other option right now.

I am a firm believer in "if you are good enough, you are old enough" and strike while the iron is hot!!!

For me, it should be Louis and Brathwaite leading the way...after all, they led the way (by far) in the championship run aggregate.

Selecting the openers will be the biggest challenge for the Selectors, every other position the players have settled into their places. I think MaCaskie and Greaves will lose out from the players who went to Australia.

In reply to dayne

It is a three test series, they should carry one more player. Plus, depending upon what happens with the initial selection & conversations, Holder, Seales & Roach are all over in England playing now. Perhaps, one is available later for a call up. As you say, it will be a difficult selection and interesting to see which way they go.

In reply to 4REALQUICKS

He have outplayed all of them in head to head competition. Don't see what justification they would be to not giving him his test cap and open with KB.

In reply to 4REALQUICKS

NIce analysis as ever. However, one name I would add is Kjorn Ottley. He only played a couple of matches but got starts in all his innings. However, not likely to make the squad for England. A possibility may be that Kirk opens with Kraigg to keep fast bowlers honest and Imlach slots into NO 3 based on his great form. Mikyle can then go as the reserve opener although my view is that he should be setting his sights on the A squad rather than the test squad at this stage. Tage and Kirk may have just done enough to keep him out of the squad but I think that McCaskie may not have done enough to keep his reserve opener position. This is the point where it may have been useful to have a Headley Weekes series so that best play best

In reply to PalsofMine

I loved the Headley Weekes format. It would be great to see that annually of possible.

In reply to 4REALQUICKS

I agree. I would tweak it so that is is the champion team playing Headley and Weekes. I would also love if we can get an international invitational team or A team from another country to be a fourth team. If we were to do HW at the opening of the season based on previous year’s performances, we might get a county team to come over as the fourth team

What else must someone do to make the west indies weak and unstable team , the states all already put Mikyle Louis as the west indies second opener in england and if he is not i think that ALL OF THE WEST INDIES SELECTORS SHOULD BE FIRED FOR BADMIND against the young man , Mikyle Louis mustbe givin his rightful chance to proform or fail just like any others person !

In reply to PalsofMine

Yes, really good ideas...

Like Mackaskie, he needs to develop his approach to spin bowling.

In reply to 4REALQUICKS

A commentator stated Mikyle Louis was a young, very talented batsman who cannot be allowed to fall by the wayside. But he conceded Louis needs to improve his game when playing outside off stump.

So the commentator offered two suggestions to the powers that be.

First, try to secure Louis a playing contract in England for the two months before the England tour. This will assist him in getting accustomed to English conditions.

Second, assign a coach to work with Louis in England to improve his play outside the off stump.

Let us wait and see if the commentator's suggestions are acted on or if they remain suggestions.

All of the West Indies players have glaring weaknesses.

Despite Louis obvious weaknesses,
there are 3 months for the coaches to work with him.

He cannot be worse than Tage
I would also say Braffit, but he's the cappo.

I picked my squad on another tread, which I will update soon.

I would like to see a squad of 15 as expected with three reserves al la Covid times.

Some players need to stay close to the team for training.

Too bad that a few of our best players (potentially) will not be there.
Possibly Hope, King, Pooran, Shepherd, even Mayers

Until CWI increase the number of teams and games in the red ball league
they will always be on the back foot.
They should find a way to encourage/motivate the best players to play tests.
They should add Canada, USA and or a couple of county teams in.

In reply to Fivestar

I am keeping my fingers crossed that they manage to do both...if Louis is handled correctly, West Indies test team will have something positive going on at the start of their innings, rather than allowing pressure to build with the pokey pair starting things off. Make no mistake, I have no issue with one opener being a solid, slow accumulator of runs...but those runs need to come consistently. Sadly, this has not happened of late...thus, time for a change.

tage just doesnt look the part internationally, his fathers technique needed someone special to make it work and shiv was special, tage is not

the aussie commies broke down a lot that can go wrong with his technique and for the most part it did, teams have analyst breaking him down even more......on top of that we cant afford to have 2 slow scorers at the top, kraigg will never be the aggressive type, so we need someone a bit more aggressive

now with a lean FC season it just doesnt look good for tage

louis should be in and around the setup, even if he needs technical work, his base seems more sturdy and looks as if he can make adjustments faster if necessary, the biggest plus hes only 23

i must admit that I did not look at Louis batting for long periods but a weakness outside the off stump in an opener is a glaring weakness as that is where all the good bowlers will constantly bowl at you. He needs to get some Academy time to work on that quickly

In reply to PalsofMine

i would say its a weakness in that everything else looks good

springer really gave him a hard time just peppering the 4-5 stump line, but louis saving grace is that he plays the line

In reply to PalsofMine

Too many of our batsmen play at balls outside off stump with both feet pointing straight down the wicket. Even our batsmen who have played Test cricket are guilty of this. The authorities need to figure out why this is happening and then fix the problem.

You gotta know where yr off stump is in England

if you are playing international cricket, you need to know where your off stump is

Every top order batsman have problems outside the off stump. Difference is with all his inexperience he is still navigating his way thru the early overs and putting together great scores almost every time out. All the others played in the same conditions and are nowhere near where he is. Looks like he is handling outside the off stump way better than the name brands.

Selection should be based on competition in most part. This is especially true when no one have cemented their position. Kraigg still doesn't know where his off stump is most of the time.

Them English batsmen need to see their off stumps cartwheeling down past the wicket-keeper

Shamar Joseph!!!

I am being frank.
West Indies will continue to have problems with Kraigg and Tage opening, these two batting together set bowlers.
With Louis three tons he gets my pick, if Tage wants to make the team, Kraigg will have to retire only one of them is needed.
To Kraigg, up your game, blocking all day is for players at the youth level.