It already seems ages since the West Indies Test team, minus several of the region’s leading players who made themselves unavailable for the tour, were victorious in their recently concluded series in Bangladesh. Standout performances from many of the new faces paved the way for the Kraigg Brathwaite led team to register an unlikely, and much needed, series victory away from home. With Sri Lanka already in the Caribbean for a multi-format tour, attention has now switched to what the makeup of the WI Test team will be given that those players who did not tour Bangladesh will also be available. 

The biggest call the selectors will be faced with is whether Jason Holder, the incumbent Test captain and one of those that was unavailable for Bangladesh, should hold on to the captaincy. Phil Simmons, West indies coach and selector, was full of praise for Brathwaite’s leadership role in Bangladesh while many pundits have also been echoing similar sentiments. Will Holder hold on or will Brathwaite be preferred?

Another area that needs urgent addressing is the opening position. John Campbell, who’s been in possession alongside Brathwaite, is averaging under 25 after 13 Tests with just 2 fifties; an underwhelming return for a top order batsman. This is a position that absolutely needs addressing as it’s so critical to the success of any team.

With the Test ‘regulars’ now available alongside those that contributed so well in their absence, the competition for middle order batting spots and the wicketkeeping position is great and will be hotly debated. Will the likes of Hetmyer, Bravo, Chase and Dowrich return to the fold ahead of Bonner, Mayers, Moseley and Da Silva or will the selectors opt for continuity with those that delivered in Bangladesh? Is Cornwall likely to be a similar threat in home conditions to what he was in more favourable Asian conditions?

No one knows just what the WI selectors thinking and strategy are; however, like most ‘wannabe’ selectors out there, I seem to think that I know what they should be. Here, I seek to share my squad that I would like to see suiting up for the first Test against the visiting Sri Lankans, along with my thoughts and rationale.       

My XI:

1 – Brathwaite - Captain

2 - Da Silva

3 - Brooks

4 - Bonner

5 - Mayers

6 – Hope - wk

7 - Chase

8 – Holder

9 - Joseph

10 - Roach

11 – Gabriel

If we are going to drop a Campbell- no argument here- ostensibly because he has been a failure, then there really is no justification for recalling a Hope at this time.

Hope was justifiably dropped after a similarly "underwhelming" performance in test cricket throughout his test career. What has he done since then to justify his recall at this juncture?

And why should Blackwood be held to a different standard? He has been our best batsman over the past few series-and highest ranked batsman by the ICC-so why are we so quick to again discard him after a single less than stellar series?

Blackwood has a better test record than Hope and was left in the wilderness, after being driopped, for some 3 years, before being recalled.

Why the double standard?

Why are others who were dropped from the test team not also expected to go back to FC cricket and score reams of runs before being recalled?

Being a good batsman is much more than being able to play a pretty cover drive;it demands more substance to go with that style!!

In reply to jacksprat


Yuhzimme!


//

In reply to jacksprat

Spratie you have to realize some of the drinks served are laced with a stupidity pill.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

The Team named would be highly unlikely to selected, the Selectors are confine I hope by some kind of fairness, I think DaSilva would continue being the W/K, Blackwood is a sure pick at this time, he has been the most consistent batsman. However if I was selecting the team I would experiment with Brooks opening, as Sri Lanka pacers are mostly fast-medium bowlers. It would also be hard to not select Cornwall as the series is being played in his home country and he is coming off a good series in Bangladesh. My Team would be
Kraigg B
Brooks
Bonner
Chase
Mayers
Blackwood
Holder
DaSilva
Joseph
Cornwall
Gabriel

In reply to jacksprat

I do not believe for 1 second that Carlos Ragoonath exists!!!!! When I saw the headline,I thought it was Carlos Brathwaite who had selected the team.
Pandit Ragoonath picks 7 Bajans in his team so no prizes to guess where he is from.Probably from the same parish as Sudden!!!!!
In his haste to drop Campbell he comes up with the idea to put DaSilva to open so that he could slide Shai Hope in the team as wicketkeeperHe then picks Brooks as his # 3 batsman.Over the years this spot is reserved for arguably the best batsman in the team.You have to be taking some special sauce if you think Brooks is the best batsman in the West Indies.Then there is the small matter of Roston Chase who has been having a torrid time as a batsman in test cricket the past 3 years where in 20 tests he averages a mere 22.33.The Sri Lankans will play his tepid off-spin with consummate ease so his bowling is irrelevant.Please note Mullah Ragoonath hints that the wickets will not be kind to spin bowling as his premise for leaving out Cornwall.Another gem from Father Ragoonath is the team he "thinks" the actual selectors will pick.How did he arrive at such a team?

P.S The use of Pandit,Mullah and Father were done for strictly entertainment purposes and do not signal any disrespect for those religions.

Paint
?????
?????
Blackwood
Bonner
Mayers
Da Silva
Holder
Cornwall
Roach
Gabriel

Just 2 spots open IMO.
Mayers, Paint and Bonner all provide additional bowling options to the 4 selected so a 5th bowler in Joseph is not needed.
Unlikely but my preference is for Pooran to get one of the open spots and the other one can go to any one of Mosely, Campbell, Brooks, Bravo or Hety.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Pure bullshit ...Utter Rubbish

In reply to Dukes

Dukes boy i thought the same thing but he didnt include and justify a place for Moseley. alas that would have been a bridge too far.

nevertheless i dont think it is C Braffit for the following reasons-

1. Cawmerians except for me dont hide behind sobriquets
2. Braffit and Holder are closer than Braffit and Braffit
3. Carlos is big bold and brash and not afraid
4. he didnt name Rihanna as manager

In reply to sudden

Now that I know the meaning of the word SOBRIQUET,my ambition is to use it in a sentence seamlessly so people will start respecting me!!!!

One of the great features of this forum is the ability to comment on posts; hats off to Caribbeancricket.com!

@Sprat, the argument for Blackwood is justified; I did qualify that in the article.
@Dukes, not Carlos B and not Bajan! I'm Trini; Barbados did send some vaccines our way but it did not influence the selections.

Appreciate the comments guys; I did indicate in the article that I expected that it may be controversial and was looking forward to the comments.

Certainly did not realize my team contained 7 Bajans until Dukes pointed it out. Assure you no parochialism or insularity were involved; just wearing a WI hat!

The article was an attempt to think outside the box in picking a Test team. Reality is performances, for the most part, have been pretty substandard. WI cricket has been suffering from the lack of consistent performers, and especially so with respect to openers. No one, including Brathwaite, has been able to make a success of it. Da Silva is being put forward as an option to hopefully solve the problem. If he is to open then he can't be expected to wicketkeep as well; that's where Hope comes back into the reckoning.

From the comments I can see that there's still a lot of passion for WI cricket; that is wonderful!

@Sprat and @Dukes - would love to see your teams; feel free to provide your XIs as well.

Cheers

In reply to Andy99

i can see Brooks being drafted in as a makeshift opener, leaving Hety and Bravo to fight for the final spot. Bravo will probably get it based on experience

Brathwaite
Hemraj
Boner
Hetmyer
Mayers
Blackwood
Da Silva
Holder
Permaul
Roach
Gabriel

Braithwaite
Campbell
Darren Bravo
Bonner
Mayers
Dasilva
Jason Holder
Cornwall
Joseph
Roach
Gabriel

In reply to CarlosR

My team is the lead thread Test team not that difficult to pick.

Good to see you are not thin skinned.

In reply to CarlosR

Why is Kraigg Brathwaite an automatic pick when since Jan 1st 2019 he has had these test stats?

Matches - 13
Runs - 565
Average - 22.60
HS - 76

John Campbell made his debut for WI on Jan 23 2019

His test stats in that time period to now are as follows:

Matches - 13
Runs - 572
Average - 24.86
HS - 68

So Campbell must go for non performance. I get it and agree

But Kraigg gets a pass? Why?

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Maximum Barbados.

In reply to imusic

Kraigg gets a pass because of his total record, 20 half centuries, 8 centuries, there is always the potential he is going to score big soon, Campbell does not inspire the same confidence. However it is funny how many posters are forgetting or overlooking Blackwood in their teams, without Blackwood's performances lately the WI would have only won one Test out of the three they won lately.

In reply to dayne

So kraigg gets to play indefinitely solely based on his past scores, even though he has not averaged 40 even one time during his entire test career?

Damn!

In reply to imusic

Kraigg is the new captain fantastic

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Bobo was primed for a drop before the Bangladesh series started

I think CWI and fans should pretend that the Bangladesh series never occurred


I believe it is the fairest way of approaching selection for this series

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Look so

I know it nah go happen, but..

Brathwaite
Hetmyer
Bonner
Darren Bravo
Mayers
Blackwood
J Holder
DaSilva
Cornwall
Joseph
Gabriel

In reply to sudden

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

I am so glad you are not the coach or selecter. can't believe you didn't pick a spin bowler in that side.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
I do not think any of those money-grabbing, prideless guys who abandoned the team to go play T20 should be in the team. In order for any of them to play, it would mean that some of the guys who stuck with the team when it needed them would be left out in the cold. That would be such a travesty...such an injustice...such ungratefulness...such a shame! And the team would deserve what they get from these overrated guys!

In reply to jacksprat
Good arguments mostly

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
One question for you Carlos, do you honestly believe the selectors will leave Blackwood out of the test team?

You need to have your head examined and stick to kiddie cricket in Toronto.

I like the idea of Brooks opening...not because he is a Bajan...but because he is a technically sound batsman IN FORM.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
Why Hope? WTF as he done to warrant his selection.. Blackwood must be included; and who will open the batting with Kraigg? Definitely not pure Hope. DaSilva career will be short live if they push him to open.