J'ca Dumps Robert Samuels

(Jamaica Observer)

Jamaica will have a new captain for the Carib Beer sponsored first-class cricket season, starting January 9.

The Ruddy Williams-led Jamaica cricket selectors yesterday named a 26-man squad without former West Indies opener, Robert Samuels, who has led the national team with varying success over recent years.

The not unexpected dropping of the 32-year-old Samuels followed Jamaica's disappointing performance in last month's Red Stripe Bowl limited overs tournament falling yet again on home-soil, at the semi-final stage.

Samuels' unconvincing form as a batsman in that tournament undoubtedly helped to sway the selectors' hand. His captaincy was already under a cloud following suggestions -- including from this writer -- prior to the Red Stripe Bowl that he should have given way to someone with real prospects of leading the West Indies team, such as Kensington club captain, Wavell Hinds.

Since the 27-year-old Hinds is currently on tour of southern Africa with the West Indies team, the way now seems clear for former West Indies Under-19 captain, 27-year-old allrounder, Gareth Breese, to get the top job.

But cricket sources yesterday said the selectors were yet to make up their minds and were likely to wait for a "couple of" practice/trial games before doing so.

The veteran 35-year-old former West Indies off-spinner, Nehemiah Perry, surprisingly named by the selectors given the accent on youth, was being seen yesterday as a possible candidate for the captain's job.

In a release yesterday, the selectors said West Indies fastbowler, Jermaine Lawson -- who dropped out of international cricket earlier this year in a bid to correct a suspect action -- "will be added to the squad as soon as he is available".

As was the case in the Red Stripe Bowl, 27-year-old opener, Leon Garrick -- who played a single Test for the West Indies in 2001 -- is again absent, apparently continuing to pay the price for his poor disciplinary record of recent seasons.

Discarded West Indies pacer, Darren Powell, who is currently on contract with Gauteng in South Africa, was not named. But the word when he left for South Africa late last month was that he would make himself available.

The promising Melbourne opener, Donovan Pagon, who missed the Red Stripe Bowl because of a discipline-related suspension, is recalled.

FULL SQUAD: Austin, Beckford, Bernard Jr, Breese, Brown, Brown, Cunningham, Dwyer, Findlay, Hyatt, Hibbert, Ingram, Keating, Kepple, Lambert, Mais, McInnis, Pagon, Parchment, Perry, Richardson, Santokie, Sinclair, Ventura, Washington, Woolcock.

* Republished from the Jamaica Observer.