Chairman of the West Indies selectors Courtney Browne stated that giving the current Test team incumbents a chance prove themselves and the intention not to pigeonhole players, were the guiding principles behind picking the first West Indies Test squad for 2018 to face Sri Lanka next week in the Caribbean. The decision to select or not include amongst the quintet of Denesh Ramdin, Evin Lewis, Jahmar Hamilton, Devon Smith and Jomel Warrican were the major talking points of the announced team. After being controversially dropped for the 2016 Test home series against India, which led to former stalwarts Windies wicket-keepers Jeff Dujon, Deryck Murray and Jackie Hendricks telling Cricbuzz at the time how perplexed they were at Browne's decision, Ramdin in his first full opportunity to play first-class cricket since then responded brilliantly by finishing second behind Devon Smith on the scoring charts during the just concluded 2017/18 season. He made 799 runs in 10 matches for the Trinidad & Tobago at an average of 61.46, including three centuries and four 50s. "We decided to stick with the incumbent (Shane Dorwich), who obviously had a decent A team series versus England Lions, and we felt that with building our young Test match squad we should stick with him, hence the reason Ramdin was not invited to the pre series camp training," Browne told Cricbuzz. Considering that Hamilton was called up, Browne was asked to explain if Ramdin is seen only a T20 option 'keeper currently and if Dorwich fails, whether Hamilton is the keeper next in line for Tests. "That depends on what is happening at the time. The selection panel, coach and captain will have to decide. I don't want to put it down to if Dorwich is not doing well, we just bring in Hamilton. Remember Hamilton is here primarily because of his A team performances and he has been in A team for a number of years and the good thing for us is that he also keeps wicket," Browne explained. read more at cricbuzz 
Full Story
Message Board Archives
HEADLINE: Browne justifies exclusion of Ramdin, Lewis for Sri Lanka Tests
In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
The best thing, really, is to drop Courtney Browne.
Is this an appointment for life?
Selection has been a dismal failure highlighted by poor team performance.
In reply to DirtyDan
No question.
So Evin Lewis has to do more than say he wants to play and score runs ...he has to sit down with Browne.
We have a small pool of players and can’t afford to discard any....except Ramdin and Bravo.
Warrican performance (and perhaps Cornwall) deserved promotion over Bishoo.
Browne needs firing
In reply to doublecentury
The only things Browne said that cannot be debated is that the WI have a small pool of players.
In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
The CWI selection process make no logical sense.
CWI claims lets see what you do at the FC level, yet when players chalk up numbers, they are omitted.
Lewis has noted he wants to play Tests, what is the discussion with brung about.
Didn't players have discussions with CWI in Florida,
nothing became of it .
In reply to sgtdjones
Brung is a classic A-hole
Talking a lot but saying nothing ....contradicting himself in the process....Trumplike
KMFT!!!
Odds on how long t will take captain spooge to reach to defend? 
In reply to Narper
No wonder he brung , he full of it.
Browne talks a lot of crap.
They selected Dowrich because they're building a young team, in that case why select Devon Smith?
Also this fixation that has happened for years about young players, building for the future etc. is bullshit.
Ramdin should have been selected based on form, if not for wicketkeeper then as a specialist batsman option.
KMFT!
In reply to DirtyDan
They have already done so - on his head!!
Outside of Beckles, I have not seen anyone talk such nonsense in order to justify insularity, vindictiveness, double standard and the indefensible.
Confused by this article. Evin Lewis was heard telling a reporter just a few days ago that he had zero interest in returning to play 4 day regional cricket nor playing Test cricket for West Indies 
After the glitz and glamour of IPL and every other t20 league, i wouldn't blame him for jumping on the Trini tradition of not being bothered with Test cricket (with the exception of Ramdin who wants to play Tests).
In reply to Judgement
any link/ source to support your statement?
In reply to doublecentury
The selectors should sit down with all players, especially the T20 stars. Pollard and Narine were named to the NZ T20 squad and withdrew. Remember that?
Who discarded Bravo? Darren and Dave smoked a peace pipe and Darren has since told WI cricket to fork off.
It's clear that these selectors and the coach have a plan to select and stick with a core group of "young" players. How can you drop Bishoo from the squad for poor performance when he has not been playing? Powell has had a run of bad form recently and Smith has been brought in to push him. Dowrich has been struggling with glove and bat recently and Hamilton has been added to the squad to push him. The message to these players is make runs or make way.
This strategy can be debated, but it's there for all to see.
In reply to grugru
Much as my colleagues and i would have loved to have gone upto them and interrupted the interview, we thought it best to let them continue talking cricket
One could also inquire why DJ Bravo and Courtney Browne were recently having a massive meeting / argument, but somethings you hear and see if you are in the right place at the right (or wrong) time
Dowrich is the Captain's right hand man. The reality is, its very, very unlikely he is getting dropped despite his tragic performances behind the stumps when the Captain has a say in who's picked. Ramdin's exclusion despite performance after performance and despite his experience behind the stumps, evidences that quite clearly. Dowrich's drop catches were talked about in great length last year around the world, yet Dowrich stays ahead of Ramdin
In reply to Judgement
It's nonsense to say that Dowrich is on the team because he is the Captain's right hand man. So the selectors and Coach don't have a say?
There is something going on behind the scenes with regard to Ramdin though because Hamilton obviously is next in line.
In reply to Judgement
Wasn't DJ Bravo recently reported to have said that Browne told him he was a cancer in the WI team?
In reply to Judgement
If such allegations are proven to be true then it would explain some of the asinine team selections and we could conclude that the progress of WI Test cricket lies in the hands of mediocrity, hence strongly correlated to our lack of development in test cricket. Imagine our short-sightedness that we would rather have the entire region suffer the humiliation and embarassment of waiting for our opponents to declare in order for us to bat, instead of selecting our best players in the team. WI teams are now Club teams based on Friendism.
Tell brown justify him still being a selector,he should be no where close to West Indies cricket. 
In reply to Realsteel
Brung best friend is Pybus , so he is head selector fer life.
Can't imagine one man so full of crap and expounding it.
No explanation needed.
Those who can't see it can smell it.
In reply to Slipfeeler
Exactly, hard for some to believe, but it doesn't mean its not happening. They select a 37 year old Smith but don't select a younger Ramdin, ahead of a consistently disastrous Dowrich who has been shocking with the gloves.
In reply to Walco
Believe what you like - are you saying Dowrich position in the team is justified despite his consistently horrid wicketkeeping performances that every commentary we have played against around the world has highlighted? Then why not keep Kyle Hope and give him a longer run to correct his wrongs? And the Chief Selector is from where? Do you think it is coincidence that the majority of players are from the same place? Are you saying we have fair and consistent selection policies and practices? That is why they pick Devon Smith (when they are allegedly trying to build around a young team) but then Blackwood gets dropped? And Miller never made it in despite smashing regional records year after year? Aren't we talking about the same Captain who refused to bowl Bishoo last year despite the entire cricket watching public and media wondering what the heck he was doing?
Same reason why DJ Bravo recently wrote on Carlos Brathwaite's Instagram accusing Carlos of keeping him out of the Lords Relief Match. Captains have more power than you may believe.
In reply to Judgement
Why have four selectors, when allyuh believe the COS, selects the team?
In reply to Judgement
Ok boss. One Bajan captain keeps his horrid Bajan buddy in the team to keep out the Trini wicketkeeper. Another Bajan captain keeps Trini DJ Bravo out of the team for God knows what reason. And the Bajan COS keeps all of the deserving players from other territories out of the team because Baptiste, Dowlin, Sabastien and the head Coach have no say in team selection. Conspiracy theories abound
There is a difference between a core of players and all players. However, under your logic the Bajan captain and COS should have used their power to keep another horrid Bajan in the team. But maybe they consider Kyle to be a Trini
In reply to openning
Don't forget that the Coach is also a selector. And the Coach is probably the most influential of all the selectors.
In reply to Walco
Thats the beauty of Conspiracy theories, they dont have to be logical or factual. When you are as bad as we have been, someone has to take the blame. CB is a nice easy target. If they will only pick the right team, we will be back to being number one in the world.
In reply to Walco
Hahaha, yes sure the white guy from Australia (the one who will no doubt shortly get the sack like all the others before him) is definitely the most influential of the lot....no wonder this region is in the mess that it is when people are so intellectually challenged.
And Kyle is not part of the "friends and family" posse, uhhh they won't even pick him to play him in the Bajan team never mind in the West Indies team (has the penny dropped yet).
And you do know some of us actually know what is going on as opposed to just speculating on a forum 
why speculate if you can't accept anything but what you actually want to be the truth as opposed to what is the truth. Hilarious!
In reply to Judgement
You would be surprised if you knew who told me about the coach's influence in team selection. Yuh might even start questioning your own Judgement
In reply to Walco… well it goes to show that he has not a clue then, if he has so much influence and Dowrich still there.
I not about Semantics, Dowrich and Powell are "fren" pic, how else you explain that?
In reply to Walnut
I actually know the Coach very well so there goes that theory. Next
In reply to natty_forever
So much hate for Powell from you all the time. It gets boring and looks bad on your part. Try to make it about facts.
In reply to natty_forever
I don't know about the fren thing, but the selectors are committed to this core group a long run strategy. I overheard a conversation last year between two WI officials who were agreeing that 3-4 years ago Cummins would have been long discarded by the WI selectors. They were also proud of the patience shown by the selectors with the Angel and the good form he was showing at the time. Even musicman was wondering the other day how Gabriel got selected to this squad based on recent form.
In reply to Walco… have no issue with sticking with players, just that it not equal for all players. After Powell and Dowrich's performances to date, how you explain the choice of them over say a Blackwood?
In reply to Judgement
Obviously not well enough to stop you from posting that shite above about the white guy from Australia with little or no influence over player selection ...
In reply to natty_forever
Dowrich always seems to post a good score when he is on the verge of a drop. He scored a ton in Zimbabwe after struggling in England. The story I heard after the English tour was that all wicketkeepers (including WI keepers) struggle with the gloves in England. Apparently there is a list WI wicketkeepers who were dropped immediately after touring England, with Ramdin being the only exception because he scored a ton on that tour.
Powell also seems to score a little 30-something or 40-something when he is on the verge of being dropped.
The problem with Blackwood, Dowrich and Powell is that a dropping can be easily justified, so it's hard to argue when any one of them is dropped.
In reply to Walco
You speak as if the selectors and Pybus are intelligent caring people committed to West Indies Cricket.
The truth is Pybus is a high paid foreign cancer who has a history of causing mayhem, t the Bengalis had kicked him out after only 4 months.
Browne on the other hand, doesn't have the intelligence and education to be a selector.
And they all care only about Cameron's "Cricket West Indies," and not West Indies Cricket
Search
Live Scores
- no matches