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The list of batsmen to have opened for the West Indies in Tests, in at least two innings, over the last seven years reads: Kraigg Brathwaite, Devon Smith, Shai Hope, Rajendra Chandrika, Leon Johnson, Kieran Powell and John Campbell. During this period, the West Indies contested 58 matches in which Kraigg Brathwaite was stuck at the other end (except for a solitary innings in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan in 2016) witnessing it all.

In the South Africa-hosted three-match Test series which spanned December 2014 to January 2015, Devon Smith was set to make one of his many comebacks to the West Indies Test team. This time, after three and a half years. Smith would open in all three encounters, as well as the 1st and 2nd Tests of England’s trip to the Caribbean in the subsequent series. Unfortunately hampered by his 23.22 average and just the one half-century in the period, the Grenadian was dropped… again.

Shai Hope would therefore take his place for a debut appearance in the 3rd Test. And despite scores of 5 and 9, he would keep his place for the 1st game of the two-match series against Australia at home, only a month later. But with another debut being handed out, this time to Rajendra Chandrika, who was replacing Marlon Samuels for the 2nd Test, Hope was pushed to number 5 to accommodate the Guyanese.

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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

dais de man cameron fostered on us who made a pair on debut right? hopefully he does not play cricket still cuz it obviously not his forte

The entire batting line-up is a problem, all the batsmen are inconsistent, even when one batsman makes a good score, they tend to throw their wicket away as soon as they get there.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Why not list a list of batting coaches / consultants over that period....

In reply to Onionman0

Coaching might be irrelevant if players do not have the work ethic to improve their game, I heard the commentators talking about how much work Steve Smith puts in to be as good as he is, they said he practices with a batting machine every night before he goes to bed when he is at home.

In reply to Jumpstart

dem TTs gave us Ragoonath remember?

In reply to dayne

What you state is one side.....which most of us agree.....but the other aspects should also be scrutinized.....when a Head Coach is selected...he presents a "vision document"... Subsequently, hires batting coach, bowling coach.....take example of present management headed by Simmons....he hired Monty Desai, as batting coach..... Monty was batting coach of Canada, IPL recruiter....his knowledge at test match level unknown....white ball batting has not improved.... players can't be held responsible in a simpliciter manner.... batsman ,as students in school or University needs constant guidance...the best of students can get astray without proper guidance.....

Could it also be that several of the players just aren't good enough? Some players can be coached and improve while some just keep making tbe same mistakes.

In reply to Jumpstart

Rajendra Chandrika av 25 in 60 first class games five years later we have selected another opener who averages 23 in 40 FC games. What sort of system /selectors do we have? Do we expect this player to go on an averaage 45 in ntest cricket?
This is not a Cameron issue

In reply to Leggully

wait, yuh mean solozano fc record wussa dan Chandrika's?

In reply to Leggully

It is a journey to the bottom, Solozano have not proven himself in the regional games, but like the Selectors we have to hope for the best, at the least he should learn somethings. I do not know how much the Selectors talk with these players, but I hope that they asked the better players like Darren Bravo, Brooks and Hetmyer, if they would be interested in opening the batting, as SL does not play many express fast bowlers

In reply to dayne
All I am saying is we are setting up the young man for the same demise as Chandrika. Which other test playing country would pick someone who av 23 in 40 fc matches to open in test.
For me the better option would be Hemraj from Guyana but he is not even in the set up.

In reply to doosra

Yuh mean Pat forced those losers( 4 batsmen who played 8 tests in all) to spite lara. Tell him take the team or else. And lara showed his genius by playing 3 of the 10 best innings ever played in cricket. Pat Rousseau......another moron to leas the WICB. It is justice nobody outside Jamaica remembers him for anything positive

the sad truth is that how many openers in the region average better than Solzano? Probably only Devon Smith.