The lingering high which still resonates throughout the Caribbean atmosphere following the West Indies’ recent historic ICC World Twenty20 victory in India may soon be long forgotten as diehard fans of the boys in maroon will not feature at least seven of them for the upcoming tri-nation One-Day International Series against South Africa and Australia in June.

With the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) recent change in its selection policy which states that players must compete on the domestic circuit (50 Over/Four- Day) in order to affirm places on the regional team for international competition, several key and trophy- winning players have automatically been excluded. Among them are the likes of World T20 championship skipper Darren Sammy, the in-form Dwayne Bravo, hard-hitting batsman Chris Gayle and all-rounder Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Marlon Samuels and Samuel Badree. All except Samuels were unavailable for the Nagico Super50 after taking up contracts for the Australian Big Bash which clashed with the regional one-day tournament.

read more at Trinidad Newsday

Full Story

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com


Now that we are undisputed T2o champs, next target should be to take back one day supremacy,
but there goes the opportunity to use and transfer the T20 team spirit and energy.

Talk about turning gold to dust

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Huh? Wasn't that always the policy? Isn't that what effectively ended Haynes's career?

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
Hey, the rule is the rule. And if these guys refuse to do what is required of them to be eligible, so be it. Notwithstanding the euphoria over them winning the T20, the fact remains that these are some greedy, money-grabbing, unpatriotic guys. Why is it cricketers from other countries are proud to play in their domestic competitions, yet our cricketers feel that our domestic competition is not big enough for them? Talk about biting the hand that first fed you.

In reply to johndom90

Dem can turn it without me.
I'm staying away.

It seems like only in the West Indies the tail wag the dog!

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

West Indies management have got to be the silliest management team around. Who are the hurting but themselves? Not one of the banned players need to play ODIs.

Given the current state of WI cricket I think this selection policy is pre-mature thus a bad one. This may be considered futuristically when:

a- our first class level drastically improves. First class players have great difficulty making the transition to international cricket.

b- the issues regarding pay dispute is settled in an equitable manner. payment in our domestic competition will never match the amounts dished out by say, the IPL but it should provide a greater incentive to our current T20ers to consider, including player contracts

Bryan Davis:




Given this archaic policy we run the risk of not qualifying for ICC tournaments a la Champions Trophy thereby devaluing our cricket.

In reply to InHindsight

Your perspective is very insightful .
Unfortunately the WICBC are filled with Spiteful & Vindictive Persons , chief among them is Emperor Cameron , and Field Marshall Pybus .

Cameron on Mason & Guest promised that the Players would not be victimized for the fiasco in India , and he reneged on that Issue .

Cameron & Co are exceedingly shortsighted . They are totally blind to the fact that to attract to attract Financial Sponsors , Our Players in all aspects of the game must be fully competitive .

The above is also relevant in attracting Cricket Fans to go to the Stadia in the Region to see the Matches . The WICBC is cutting off its Nose to Spite its face that aint going to work .

Very little consideration is given to the fact that in all versions of the game , our Players are playing less Cricket than their Counterparts on Teams ranked above our Team .

As I have stated in this very Forum on several occasions , the fact that our Players are playing less Cricket than their competitors , does not impinge much in the shortest version of the game ; because many of our Players are playing in that version of the game in various International
Countries.

However it is in the longer versions of the game where the competitiveness of our Players needs to improve . It
must be stated , that in the Region
in the longer versions of the game is Piss Poor , and below what is required at the International level .

This fact is reflected in the standing of our Team & Players at the International Level , where they are
Bottom Dwellers in the longer version of the game .

Yes I am fully aware that ONLY 3 years ago professional Leagues were
started in the Region , The eternal question , is this ; Why was this not done before ; at a time when our Players were dominating World Cricket , and it would have been very easy to get Financial Sponsors .

It is a fact that Sponsors love associating with WINNERS , and for years Our Team & Players were Winners . Unfortunately the WICBC at that time ; and even to this very day
lacked then & now Foresight & Vision .

It is because of the work put in by Former Players who were in charge of the Regional version of the shortest version of the game why our Senior players dominates this form of the
game Internationally by winning the 2012 World Cup & recently the 2016 World Cup .

Yes the Players have been and are Rightly celebrated . However those
who nurtured , harnessed & honed their Talents have never ever been celebrated or honoured by:

THE WICBC OR THOSE IN THE REGION WHO

CLAIM TO BE SPORTS JOURNALISTS .

This leaves the impression among people who rightly believe that THEY
should be honoured that the WICBC
& the Sports Media have colluded to
give the impression that it is only the WICBC who must be praised .

When in Truth & in fact it was the
WICBC who at the genesis of this format of the game decided to farm it out to Stanford is in Jail .

HOWEVER NONE OF OUR FORMER GREAT

PLAYERS WHO ORGANIZED AND WERE IN

CHARGE OF THIS VERSION OF THE GAME

HAVE NEVER BEEN ARRESTED OR ACCUSED

OF COMMITTING ANY CRIMINAL DEEDS .

They are the Persons who honed the
Skills of our Players to be very very
competitive in the International Cricket Arena . Yet the WICBC & the
Sports Media , to my knowledge have yet to say a Word regarding giving them thanks for their Stewardship of the Regional Twenty / 20 Tournament .

There needs to be an explanation of this Gross Injustice , by the WICBC
& those in the Media who claim to be Sports Journalists .

I intend to raise this Issue until
These Former Great Players are honoured for the work they did to make Our Players & Team Dominant in
the Shortest version of the game .