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to drop Braithwaite and Da Silva. Who are going to replace them that would be expected to do better? The longer version of the game requires spending long periods in the wicket, and that is achieved through opportunities being made available in that format. These players, especially, the batsmen are shortchanged by being tossed into this situation without adequate preparation. With so little cricket available for them, the ODI tournament should be an avenue for them to get a chance play, just to get some batting time. Instead, it caters for preparing guys for their next T5, T10, T20 private enterprise, franchise tournaments. Braithwaite, Da Silva, Hodge, etc must sit and watch these guys play, and then just show up January 16 and perform magic in Pakistan. It does not work that way, and no matter who we replace them with, the results would be similar. It is grossly unfair to these players, including the names we call out to replace them. It almost a case of abuse and cruelty to these humans.

In reply to Besar

Tell that to Australia and India

In case you haven’t noticed, the modern game has changed……including test cricket.

For example, Few teams who have players than can actually bat adopt a strategy that their openers are there to “see the shine off of the ball”.

Unless the pitch is a minefield…..which doesn’t happen so much for a long time with the batting friendly wickets in abundance….batters not poking for poking sake. Their emphasis is on scoring…..and scoring quickly….even in test cricket.

Everybody talking about Bazball and Basball embraces this philosophy. The ironic thing is, Bazball is a variation of how we USED to play. Now our approach is more traditional English than the forkane English.

It’s disgusting. And people want to champion that shit.

In reply to Besar

Would you agree with me that both Braithwaite and DaSilva were given Test caps to replace an opener and wicketkeeper and they have not done better than who they replace?

Would you agree that dropping a player encompasses not only (1) evaluating if the replacement is "expected to do better" but also (2) can we continue to reward abject mediocrity?

In reply to JoeGrine

Stop talking sense try some nonsense and they will understand.

In reply to Besar

Champ, Kraigg and Silva don't spend long periods at the crease... I think both are suited for t10s, based on the time they spend in the middle.

In reply to anthonyp

In reply to granite

Let me apologize!

In reply to imusic

Yes, i noticed the change, but I believe the message is that our players at test level need to play a lot more longer versions of the game to be able to manage it well. They don't even get that, so being able to adapt to the the present day versions we are all experiencing is not even an option for them. I hope you get what I am driving at. Smith is an established test cricketer, who adapted to T20 very easily; he is in decline now.

In reply to JoeGrine

Yes, I agree with you on both points. However, if you took your time to interpret beyond the face value of my words, you would have recognized that my point was that our players don't get to play much long versions of the game to adapt well. Thus, it does not matter who we pick. common sense tells us that they are not likely to do better that Braithwaite or Da Silva. So, at the depth of my statement is not a call to not drop guys, but to do something for overall development.

In reply to Besar

You mention Steve Smith

Are you aware that Steve Smith made his debut for Australia in the T20 format as a leg spinner?

When he made his test debut, he was selected as a bowler who bat down the order.

The point is he didn’t “adapt to T20 cricket”. On the contrary, he adapted to the longer format.

As for Brathwaite and DaSilva and “development”……I get that maybe you MIGHT want to hang on a bit longer with DaSilva as he’s 26 years old.

How much more “development” you think 32 year old Brathwaite can get?

In reply to imusic

I agree that you do not drop for dropping sake but when you review the performance of both Cappo and vice Cappo, is it fair to have others who are at least as talented (cup half full there!) sit on the sidelines while these guys just make up space in the team? Captains are supposed to inspire. Does KB inspire performances? Do we see him adjusting fields in anticipation of how batsmen on the other side will play? Do we see him talking to bowlers? If he does not inspire and does not perform, why must he keep his spot? My view is that, as was done to Bonner and Blackwood, Paint and Tarnish must be told that their either perform in 2025 FC and Pakistan or they lose their automatic picks to persons who actually perform (whether these persons will be actually better on the international scene is still to be determined but there must be at least a 50% chance that they are better if they do better in FC than the two incumbents).

In reply to PalsofMine

I have advocated for both to be dropped so I am not against that course of action.

If the goal is for players coming in to “do better” in as little time as possible than the players they replace, then how successful have we been doing that over the years?

By that “logic”, the likes of Tage, Reifer, Brooks, Blackwood etc should still be in the starting XI.

In test cricket, we are literally playing the “rest” of our best batters in the region.

Part of it is the eligibility rule. Part of it is due to our best batters reluctance to commit to playing the longest format of the game.

Administration,management, media, and fans are guilty of thinking that players today should automatically want to play test cricket. We all grew up with it. We had our glory years and dominated the game in that format. So how could they possibly reject it?

And when they do, they’re vilified for doing so. And our sole “strategy” is to guilt them into playing.


Instead…..perhaps all of the above, particularly Administration and management…..but media has a role to play….should focus on outlining the Value Proposition for playing red ball cricket IN ADDITION TO the white ball cricket they already play, to our best batters.

Tell them why they should play red ball / test cricket and the benefit to them, their careers, and their families by doing so.

Because right now……those players have sent a clear message that they don’t see the Value Proposition of playing red ball / test cricket for West Indies.

In reply to imusic

But Steve Smith played lots of first class cricket before being picked for T20.

In reply to Besar

I agree, Brathwaite should not be dropped, he should be, replaced, with immediate effect.