Who'll Replace the Prince?

With confirmed news that Brian Lara would be out of action for up to three months, we now need to find a replacement for the upcoming tour in the subcontinent and possibly beyond. Obviously, there is no one in the Caribbean who can step into such big shoes, but the show must go on and go on it will.

My first thought is that we need an experienced batsman at number 4 who can play spin well and who can dominate the bowlers. To my mind, Carl Hooper is the only man in the team who fits that bill. Yes, I know that Hooper is no Lara, and I know what all his detractors have had to say about him but the fact remains that since his return to West Indian cricket this man has been a solid asset to the team as a batsman. We'll leave the captaincy issue aside for now.

Which means that we need to fill the hole at number 5.

The current West Indies side has become more or less settled and I'd prefer to leave it as stable as possible. However, the one area that has yet to gel is the opening pair. "Christofyah" Henry Gayle has begun to make a good case for himself but finding a partner for him is like searching for warmth in the Canadian winter. Wavell Hinds is the most likely partner, with the two Jamaican batsmen sharing an understanding after several domestic seasons plus their Test appearances together.

However, some think that Wavell is miscast as an opener despite appearing at that position and at number 3 for Jamaica on many occasions. I tend to agree with this assessment and would prefer to see Wavell coming in as a lower order batsman. I think that Wavell is capable of nursing a tail and then having a last ditch assault at the end. He obviously plays spin well and he knows how to bat at length. With Chanderpaul coming in at number 6 there could be some decent low middle order partnerships put on the board, something long missing from this batting order.

Now we need to fix the hole at the top.

In my opinion, we have always had to fill this spot and, as I state above, Wavell wasn't the right man for that job. There are a few names that have been floated around as contenders for the opening position ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. We'll start with the former.

Sherwin Campbell's name has surfaced again by some people in the Eastern Caribbean. Please, let the dead rest in peace. We already walked this road with Stuart Williams. Sherwin, thanks for the memories but we need to move on.

Inexplicably, Daren Ganga is another name that keeps popping up. Now, I will admit to having been excited by the reports coming out of Trinidad several years ago of this young kid with great technique. I was pleased when he got the nod to go to South Africa and even more so when he actually got to play. Even after that disastrous debut, I felt he was worth persisting with -- after all South Africa is no easy debut. But now, 29 Test innings later, with an average of barely 20.85 and a top score of only 89 - against Zimbabwe at that - I cannot see any point in going further with him. Selectors, it's time to cut your losses and move on.

There are many who feel that Leon Garrick has been dealt with unfairly by the selectors. Be that as it may, his first shot in Test cricket was barely short of unforgiveable and he really hasn't made a case for his reinclusion since that time. Leon, if you're out there, smack yourself for me once and then get back to Jamaica next season and make some big scores. I want to see you playing Test cricket again next year.

Which brings me to young Devon Smith. This young man set wickets on fire in the Under-19 tour of England last year. Not many of our batsmen go to England and do well. He followed that up with a spectacular Busta Cup averaging over 62.00, second only to Stuart Williams in aggregate runs. Unfortunately, he missed out on selection during India's tour of the Caribbean - who could ask for a better debut situation for him - as the experienced Stuart Williams got the nod ahead of him.

Smith's return to England with Ganga's 'A' team started out rather anti-climactically as he struggled for runs before he finally found form against Lancashire with a magnificent 181. Clearly this young man had not forgotten how to make runs. Unfortunately he was soon sidelined with a back injury which caused him to miss the Canadian leg of the tour and an opportunity to take advantage of an un-imposing Canadian attack to further press his case.

Today, we are told that Smith is mostly back to full fitness and is playing league cricket in the Spice Island. If he is fit enough to play club cricket now, then surely he will be 100 per cent before the start of the first Test in India.

My suggestion to the selectors is that now is a perfect opportunity to make amends for past oversights and ask Devon Smith to go to India. He is young, he is is undeniably talented, and he has shown that he can translate that talent to results. We have so little to lose and so much to gain.