Viv: 'Trust Our Instincts'

CASTRIES, St Lucia ? West Indies chief selector Sir Viv Richards has stoutly defended his panel's decision to name relatively unknown Barbadian fast bowler Fidel Edwards in the West Indies squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka starting in Jamaica on Friday.

Noting team selection is all about instincts, Richards pleaded with Caribbean cricket fans to trust the judgement of his fellow selectors, Joey Carew, Gordon Greenidge and West Indies captain Brian Lara.

"I was very very impressed when I first saw him (Edwards) at the Academy in Grenada and there are a few people who did say a few things about him. There are a few scouts around who did say their little bits about that individual," Richards said in a wide-ranging interview at the Beausejour Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

"This is what selection is all about if we are looking to rebuild and maybe to move forward in future," added Sir Vivian.

Edwards, 21, a younger brother of discarded West Indies' left-arm pacer Pedro Collins, has only played one first-class match but the "Master Blaster" recalled that former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop also came on the scene as a virtual unknown.

"That, I think gives you the sort of inspiration for us to do what we are doing at present...This is what it is all about," reasoned Sir Vivian.

Even though admitting, he personally saw Edwards in action in the past, Sir Vivian said the other selectors also did their homework before arriving at the decision to put the slimly-built paceman in the 14-member squad.

"We had made some enquiries about him this season, not having played for Barbados with his injury or whatever. Certainly, I saw him as being a product that we could work with in the future.

"It is not all the time that you need to see individuals in a sort of match situation but the potential side of things, this is the package which I think people like Joey and Gordon and Brian, who has faced him in the nets, brought when we had our meeting," Richards contended.

He further revealed that the selectors had a wonderful discussion about the people who should be chosen for the West Indies team.

"I was so impressed with the input of some of the individuals, who had to say whatever at that particular time but I personally believe that there are times where we got to use our instinct and this is what selection is all about, being instinctive," charged Richards.

Richards noted that two aspects of Edwards' style which he likes is his attacking approach and his round-arm slinging action.

"It is an unusual action and I felt that we need people like him at this stage if we are looking to improve further in the future. We felt that he does attack the crease with pace," Richards noted.

Richards also dismissed the notion that his selection panel, which has shown a bias towards young, untried players, is very radical in their choices.

"I won't say radical. I just think that you've got four individuals who are on the selection panel at this stage, who know a little bit about cricket.

"Just trust us along those lines and give us an opportunity with whatever decisions that we have made at this stage and the changes that we have made to see whether the individuals are capable or not. This is all we ask," Richards urged.

Richards said he hopes the pitch at Sabina Park for the decisive second Test would be conducive for fast-bowling.

"If the wicket in Jamaica is a little bit quicker, then we may see someone like maybe a Jerome Taylor at his very best. We introduced him in this Test here for the very first time in St Lucia but the wicket wasn't, I felt conducive to such bowling.

"But judging from the mannerism and just his overall appearance, the way he attacks the crease and things like that, it is very very encouraging," Sir Vivian said.

While Richards is keen on fast-tracking young fast bowlers like the 19-year-old Taylor and 21-year-old Edwards, he has not lost faith with the experienced Merv Dillon.

"We believe that Mervyn Dillon still has ability and we are still waiting at some point that with him being the most experienced individual at this particular point, that at least he gets a little bit more fortune in terms of where we can go from here," Richards said.