A pleasant 'March-Madness' Friday to you all.

I'm writing my little missive, well before Mr. Chris Gayle hits the winning run to power our West Indies to a semi-final World Cup berth. That will spare you the agony of agonizing about my invitation to your 'Chris Gayle' after-match party, at Club 333.

Folks, the 'will-he-or-won't-he' eleventh-hour agonizing over Mr. Chris Gayle's fitness, tells us a lot about the state and mindset of West Indies cricket. So desperate are we for a win, that the commanders-in-charge, are willing to sacrifice 'process', and the 'integrity-of-a-process', for expediency, and for a thrill. Folks, count me out. Keep your invitation to your after-match celebration.

I pity the reserve West Indies batsman, fit, ready, and rearing to go. And yet, he has to wait. Wait until we finish agonizing over the 'iffi-ness' of a batsman, who has not been fit enough to practise for the last two (2) days. I won't say that the honorable chairman of the selectors, and his fellow selectors, are men short on principle. What I will say though, is that they might be full - too full of desperation.

Notice who hit the winning run last night. It wasn't 'Boom-boom' Shahid Afridi. It was Shane Watson - banished to the wilderness to 'eat crow'; recalled; weathered the Wahab storm; and then in the end, 'ate steak'. Folks, count me out of this West Indies cricket 'March-Madness'.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

"pity the reserve batsmen" ....if its Charles that misses out then he has a point...but if it's Dwayne Smith then WTF ....Gayle at 80 yrs old will still be a better option that Smith

Well it is a gamble, is it worth it to play Gayle, as what he might give the team in runs could be cancelled out by what Smith could give the team in the field. I think what Smith can give in this circumstance is more certain.

You only have to look at this scorecard to see why the discussion is all about Gayle...even at the end of his career, he's a better ODI batsman than the rest of them put together.

Great knock today.
Looked set for another infamous CHG ton but was denied by some incredible fielding.
Mad dem Crampy.Mad.