Will Taylor Make the Jamaica Squad?

Jamaica's coach Robert Haynes and former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh both believe young fast bowler Jerome Taylor is good enough to play first cricket this season.

"I think he is ready for first class cricket," Haynes said. "When you look at the batsmen he got in the practice matches and knowing that they played first class cricket, I don't see why Taylor is not ready. "He is fast, he is bowling well and thats the person I want to have around," he added.

"He is not someone I want just for this season, but someone I want around all the time," he added.

Meanwhile, Walsh believes Taylor is good enough and should play first class cricket when the regional season starts late this month. Walsh, a former Gloucestershire county player said, Taylor has been impressive so far in the preparation matches and should be including in the Jamaica 16-man squad or the West Indies 'B' selectors should use him in their team.

However, when Jamaica's senior team selectors meet this afternoon (Sunday) if young Taylor is not included they will be under pressure. Chairman Ruddy Williams, Lyndel Wright, Courtney Daley and captain Robert Samuels will name the 16-man at 5:00 p.m. (Sunday), which will represent Jamaica in the tournament set for late this month.

The selectors will have to name 16 players, however, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) asked each Territory to protect 13 players (Under-23) which will make them unavailable for the West Indies 'B' team.

The West Indies 'B', which is also apart of the regional first class tournament is for players Under-23 that are unable to make their country's senior team.

In the last two Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) practice held at Melbourne Oval and Sabina Park (presently), Taylor, bowling with pace and aggression, recorded the only two five-wicket haul of this year's preparation matches.

In the Melbourne match, his performance was far better than West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell, who many people think, should go to the World Cup. Playing on the same XI (Nehemiah Perry's XI), Taylor ended with 5-53 off 20.4 overs,while Powell was wicket-less in 24 overs which went for 76 runs.

On the second day of the four-day match, Samuels brought back Taylor into the attack for his second spell. The young pacer gunning for a place on the senior team, wasted no time in removing four batsmen with the score on 377.

Fresh out of the West Indies fast bowling clinic in Antigua & Barbuda, Taylor, first removed Parchment (200), caught at square leg, trapped Carlton Baught Jr. and Perry with successive deliveries, before returning the next over to knock over Lorenzo Ingram.

The St. Elizabeth Technical student proved to the selectors that his five-wicket haul at Melbourne was no mistake and completed another at Sabina Park yesterday on Saturday, ending with five for 87 off 30 overs. If the selectors are thinking, Taylor, should be among the 'protected' 13 or, if not, he should recommended to the West Indies 'B' team.

In the under-19 tournament, Taylor claimed 11 wickets from two matches -- four against Guyana and seven against Trinidad and Tobago in the semi-finals to emerge joint second highest wicket-taker in Jamaica's team with fellow STETHS player, off-spinner Wayne Simpson. That performance earned him a place in a 14-man West Indies Under-19 cricket squad.

* Anthony Foster is a cricket writer based in Jamaica.