Why Hasn't Guyana Picked Busta Cup Squad?

The Guyana Cricket Board selectors have been saddled with the task of naming a squad to begin this country?s challenge for the 2002 first-class championship that bowls off in exactly one week.

Given the fact that all the other territories have named their teams, except for the Windward Islands who are concluding their tournament, the local selectors do seem to be having a terrible amount of difficulty in arriving at a squad that is worthy of holding the fort until the established Test players return from the Pakistan series in Sharjah.

My humble opinion is that the selectors should have followed the lead of Jamaica and named their strongest possible team, Test players included, and when/if they are called to West Indies duties, bring in the standby players. That however, is another issue all together.

As it is now quite a few players have picked themselves, by virtue of performances in last year?s competitions (Busta and Red Stripe) and trials - the just concluded practice match at Bourda would also count as a trial.

Among the batsmen the first name that comes to mind is Travis Dowlin. The compact right-hander was a revelation in the Busta - seizing his chance as soon as it came along. He also scored valuable runs in the Red Stripe Bowl - most notably in the final where his half-century as an opener was the cornerstone of the Guyana victory charge.

Opener Sewnarine Chattergoon was another one who seized his opportunity when it came along. Given his chance in the latter stages of the Busta, the pint-sized left-hander immediately appeared at home in the first-class league. He continued his impressive showing in the Bowl where he recorded his first century in national colours.

Fellow opener Azeemul Haniff, who lost out to Chattergoon in selection for the Bowl, was intent on not being overlooked this time around. His century in the first trial and subsequent solid performances confirmed him as a member of the 2002 squad.

Homchand Pooran, a past member of the national team, showed he might have conquered some of his technical deficiencies during centuries in the final trial and last weekend?s practice match at Bourda. By the sheer weight of his runs - the most since trials began - Pooran has booked his ticket to Barbados.

Although losing his place in the Busta team last year, Lennox Cush has done enough in the trials, and has enough experience to make him an important part of the young squad.

Nothing needs to be said about Mahendra Nagamootoo who many believe should have been called to the West Indies trial match, beginning today in Trinidad and Tobago, or fast bowlers Reon King, Colin Stuart and Kevin Darlington.

King and Stuart, although overlooked by the regional selectors on injury grounds, were sufficiently fit to participate in the Bourda game without discomfort and Darlington spearheaded the attack admirably during their absence in 2001.

The wicketkeeping spot should go to the incumbent Vishal Nagamootoo, but there are doubts about his availability after he suffered a minor injury in a freak accident on Tuesday. In his absence Azib Alli Hanif is the automatic choice and should do as good a job if not better.

They could be termed the nucleus of the squad. The problem therefore lies in who, among the fringe players, did enough to warrant the final three places.

I believe these spots should go to middle-order batsmen Andre Percival and Damodar Dasrat and off-spinner Lalchand Persaud.

Persaud, belatedly added to the squad after capturing 29 wickets in three matches of the Carib Beer competition, has displayed variety in his bowling and gets the nod ahead of off-spinner Kevin Bazil and left-arm spinner Hemnarine Harrinarine. Bazil would be one of the three choices for the West Indies ?B?. The others would be improving fast bowler Esaun Crandon and opening batsman Krishna Arjune who was consistent without getting big scores in the trials.

Percival would be picked for his experience, while the level-headed Dasrat - a consistent performer in the inter-county competitions - secured his place with his innings of 81 at Bourda.

The selectors are also yet to name a captain with names like Mahendra Nagamootoo, Reon King, Kevin Darlington and Andre Percival, being bandied around.

Percival has a lot of experience as captain of the Guyana and West Indies youth teams, and Darlington has shown he has sufficient knowledge of the game to make him a worthy contender. They are not certain of their places in the team, however, which would leave King and Nagamootoo in the running.

With King having a more level-headed approach to the game, the role of captain would go to him.

The national team should therefore read: Azeemul Haniff, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Travis Dowlin, Lennox Cush, Homchand Pooran, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Reon King, Colin Stuart, Kevin Darlington, Vishal Nagamootoo (Azib Alli Hanif), Lalchand Persaud, Damodar Dasrat and Andre Percival.

Standby: Reon Griffith, Andrew Gonsalves, Hemnarine Harrinarine, Vishal Arjune.

West Indies B: Esaun Crandon, Kevin Bazil, Krishna Arjune.

* Guyanese journalist Donovan Matthews first wrote this piece for the Guyana Chronicle.