The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket
It's no fun being a Smith in the West Indies team for the third Test.
For different reasons, opener Devon Smith and middle order batsman Dwayne Smith were left out of the team for the Barbados Test. Devon's injury to his left thumb ruled him out of contention while Dwayne's horrific shot-selection in recent times has apparently left a sour impression on the selectors.
Outspoken television broadcaster Michael Holding believes the WICB should pull the plug on Brian Lara's captaincy and turn the reins of the team over to Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Holding, a fast bowling legend from Jamaica, said the partnership of Lara and head coach Gus Logie "has not worked" and suggested Lara be the one to step down. "I'd keep Logie as coach and make Ramnaresh Sarwan captain. He's going through a bad patch at the moment and he's only 23 but he's been playing since he was 17 and he has a maturity on his shoulders."
West Indies head coach Gus Logie said he asked out of team selection to gain the trust of the players.
"When I became interim coach last year and spoke with the players, I recognised they have always mistrusted selectors...As a new coach coming into the squad, I felt I needed the trust of the players and I found it difficult being a coach and a selector at the same time. I sacrificed the selectorial side of the post to focus on being coach of the team," Logie said.
Last April, when Chris Gayle blew off the Carib Beer finals to chase the money from the Double-Wicket World Cup, he was promptly dropped from the West Indies team. At the time, chairman of selectors Sir Viv Richards made it a point to upbraid the opener for his lack of commitment.
One year later, the shoes are on the other foot and the hypocrisy is startling. We have a situation where the region's top prospects/reserves are on display in Barbados (Carib Beer finals and Carib Beer XI v England) and two senior selectors -- Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge -- are yukking it up in a fete match in Grenada. Where exactly is your commitment Sir Viv? How about you, Mr. Greenidge? What's your excuse?
Veteran Jamaica off-spinner Nehemiah Perry has announced his retirement from first class cricket.
"There are other things to life. I've played 17 years of first class cricket. You try to motivate yourself to get up and go to practice, but sometimes it's not there. I have a young family and I'd like to spend more time with them," Perry said, moments after playing in the Carib Beer finals against Barbados.