Message Board Archives

HEADLINE: Winston Benjamin: No reason to keep out Alzarri

 
CaribbeanCricket.com Jun 23, 2016, 3:04:36 AM 

Former West Indies fast bowler Winston Benjamin believes that young Antiguan pacer Alzarri Joseph is being short-changed by the West Indies selectors.

Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show on Wednesday, Benjamin said he sees no reasons why the under-19 star is not presently included in the senior squad given the lack of consistency currently plaguing the squad.

“I would have loved to say ‘look, let Alzarri learn from one of those guys by being around the team like Brian (Lara) was around the team before he actually played’. But who does West Indies have that is going to teach Alzarri anything?


Full Story

 
dayne Jun 23, 2016, 7:49:44 AM 

I agree that Joseph should of been with the squad practicing but the Selectors would be wise not to introduce him to ODI cricket against two of the strongest teams in the world.

 
voiceofreason Jun 23, 2016, 9:02:50 AM 

In reply to dayne


He should be around the team for development purposes and why not give him a game or two as he can do no worse than what we have.

 
Kay Jun 23, 2016, 9:27:57 AM 

Homeboyism will never go away.... smile

 
voiceofreason Jun 23, 2016, 11:22:59 AM 

In reply to Kay

How about common sensism? What is wrong with him being part of the squad?

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 12:52:48 PM 

Haas this guy played a full season for the Leewards regional team?
Should he be selected from his performance at the U-19 level?
We continue making jokes of the process?

 
embsallie Jun 23, 2016, 1:19:39 PM 

Haas this guy played a full season for the Leewards regional team?
Should he be selected from his performance at the U-19 level?


No sense in keeping him hidden either.
You guys forget Holding was thrown in the deep end against OZ at a very tender age. he was no worse for wear.

Whether or not he gets mauled or he impresses, one can only know if he gets a chance. In either case WI will determine if Joseph has potential and raw talent to continue as a future spearhead for the pace attack.
I do not think that in the case of Rabada there is a hell of a lot of difference in age.

Besides who do we have as an alternate? Tayrol is a mere shadow of himself, The Angel is really not showing any improvement; Holder, sick or not, is pedestrian at best, Rampaul and Fidel plying their trade in England and some of the other guys that WI could call up like Cummins for some reason are being ignored.

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 2:35:14 PM 

I am wondering how many matches Rabada played for his professional club, and at what age he started with that club, prior to be selected as an International.
If Benjamin think he was that good, why did he not fight for him to be selected, for the Leeward Island tournament at 17 or 18 years?
Allyuh love to make joke, let the young man develop his resume.
BTW, has he played any competitive matches, since the wc?

 
imusic Jun 23, 2016, 2:55:10 PM 

In reply to openning

Exceptions and "fast tracking" are often allowed for those deemed to be "special"

Ex players like Ambrose and Bishop have advocated for Joseph's inclusion in the WI setup....even if it's just to be around the team and experience what it's like to be in that environment.

Hard to argue against that when it comes from those quarters

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 4:21:36 PM 

In reply to imusic

This is how you should be developing the youngsters.
Chemar Holder training in England

 
imusic Jun 23, 2016, 4:33:32 PM 

In reply to openning

There's no magic formula dude

How did that work out for anthony alleyne?

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 4:47:21 PM 

In reply to imusic

How did that work out for anthony alleyne?


I cannot answer the above, because I know very little of the chap.

 
Narper Jun 23, 2016, 5:52:17 PM 

Al Jo should have been drafted in for the Bim leg

 
POINT Jun 23, 2016, 7:08:14 PM 

Ian Bishop , has consistently stated
that he is of the opinion that Alzarri
should be selected , not necessarily
playing , but to be around Players , go to Team Meetings , and learn his craft from others .

I agree with Bishop , in the U-19
Team the youngster from Grenada Emmanuel Stewart was selected , he did not play in any of the matches , but he , I am sure , has learned a lot from that experience .

 
rillo Jun 23, 2016, 7:22:08 PM 

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Add Holder to Joseph. I thought he bowled well in tandem with Joseph.

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 7:28:18 PM 

Has anyone seen him bowling after tea with an old ball, in any 4-day match?
Bishop or any other dont speak for me, I follow many sports, youngsters performance over time, get them to be selected for a senior team, not just an U-19 tournament.

 
Real-cricket Jun 23, 2016, 7:31:32 PM 

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Who would Alzarri learn from lol?
Tayrol? Holder? Angel?

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 7:34:15 PM 

In reply to Real-cricket

Which format should he be selected for?
We have seen him at the U-19 level, is that performance make him, eligible for the test squad?

 
Narper Jun 23, 2016, 7:36:42 PM 

Wes Hall, one of the famous West Indies tearaways of an earlier generation, is in no doubt that the same route should be open to Joseph. "Fast bowling is one area you can take the chance of selecting raw talent," he says.


I believe Joseph is much more advanced at 19 than I was," Hall says says. "I first saw him in a feature on the Sportsmax television channel about two years ago, bowling in the nets. I sat up and took notice right away. It was much the same in the World Cup. He has a strong action that helps his pace and his control. I'd be disappointed if he doesn't go on to lead the West Indies attack for the next decade or so."

Joel Garner would go even further than Hall with the promotion of young players. "If I had to take a chance, I would thrust two or three of you in at the deep end now," he told the U-19 world champions at a welcome function on their return home. Now president of the Barbados Cricket Association and a WICB director, he said the team had "brought back energy and excitement to watching West Indies cricket again, even though it was at junior level".

Hall used the cases of Wasim Akram and Fidel Edwards to illustrate his point that it is worth taking the chance with raw talent. Wasim and Edwards were first spotted by the respective Test captains, Imran Khan of Pakistan and Brian Lara of West Indies, filling the job as net bowlers. Recognising their pace and their potential, the captains had them immediately propelled into the Test team.


Tony Cozier- February 21, 2016

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 7:39:07 PM 

In reply to Real-cricket

Which format should he be selected for?
We have seen him at the U-19 level, is that performance make him, eligible for the test squad?

 
Narper Jun 23, 2016, 7:42:03 PM 

In reply to openning

Didn't you see him in the FC season...before and after the U19 WC..he bowled very well on the dead Providence wicket...and Windor park in Dominica


Joseph performed similar feats for Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the first-class Professional Cricket League, before the World Cup. On a helpful pitch at Windsor Park in Dominica, his return was 7 for 46 against Windward Islands last November.

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 7:43:37 PM 

In reply to Narper

I was always an opponent of the selection of Fidel.
Fidel remained to this day, a net-bowler.

We've been at the bottom for so long, why not develop youngsters, instead of selecting them, by spinning a dice

 
Narper Jun 23, 2016, 7:45:56 PM 

In reply to openning

Maybe the current WI bowling coach Estwick ( U19 WC coach) doesn't think he is ready.

 
Narper Jun 23, 2016, 7:50:46 PM 

In reply to openning

We've been at the bottom for so long, why not develop youngsters, instead of selecting them, by spinning a dice


I have a big problem with fast tracking young inexperienced batsmen. One mistake at the crease and the batsman is back in the pavilion...but bowlers have many chances...over and over at the discretion of the cappo

Young fast bowlers should be pushed....even if initially ,it is to bowl at the senior bats in the nets....and soak in the atmosphere at the highest level...and learn at the team meetings etc

 
POINT Jun 23, 2016, 7:51:08 PM 

In reply to Narper

Thanks for the Article by Tony Cozier
. It seems that some here may have
hidden Agendas . Time will tell whether that is the case .

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 7:51:39 PM 

In reply to Narper

The only youngsters I think are ready for selection is Lewis for t20 or ODI and Chase for test

 
Pacy Jun 23, 2016, 8:03:33 PM 

In reply to openning


I was always an opponent of the selection of Fidel.
Fidel remained to this day, a net-bowler.


May be not the standards you expect but Fidel and Taylor who were pulled out of nowhere were better that the talent that came through our system.

Cummins, Richards, Delron Johnson were all promising youngsers but after 4-5 years of FC cricket have regressed than improved. Reason could be the wickets, oppertunities or preference to slow bowling or anything else but taht is the fact.

Alzhari Joseph had shown promise and our FC system is not a good place for our younngsters to develop. I would rather see them close to the WI team set up where they might get better coaching and exposure.

 
openning Jun 23, 2016, 8:15:18 PM 

In reply to Pacy

You really think Bolt, Serena, Tiger, Rabada, Kohli work on their problems on tour?

You bring to a tour what you have learned from hours of repetition.
Allyuh continue to support,the sixties theory.

 
Real-cricket Jun 24, 2016, 8:31:05 AM 

In reply to openning

I am only referring to the question of letting him learn from the others. This argument makes no sense. Holding and co had true great bowlers that they could have learnt from. The current crop have nothing to offer to Alzarri.

Be that as it may he must make his debut in test cricket. I would like to see him and other young bowlers on an A team tour. I can only hope that when he does make the debut he is not spoilt. He should not be overworked.

 
Kay Jun 24, 2016, 8:42:05 AM 

In reply to Real-cricket

I can only hope that when he does make the debut he is not spoilt. He should not be overworked.

Good luck with dat. Test cricket is big man cricket and it is the stage where you get thrown to the wolves not protected. You either ready or not....

 
Real-cricket Jun 24, 2016, 9:03:19 AM 

In reply to Kay

True but not to be overworked and made to carry the load of Tayrol and co.