Some hope for WI: the SA top 7 don’t avg over 40

None of them. On the other hand, none of them average under 30 as well. Only one of our batsmen average over 30 in tests I believe: kraigg

In reply to Jumpstart

The difference is the Saffies have a real coach and not a glorified clapper

In reply to FanAttick
they have a decent governing structure as well and eevery time an SA team takes the field, you can be assured their stromgest players are part of the lineup. they do not ostracize their best players

Aside from 1 pick, I understand the reasoning behind the current test squad selection

Chase and Warrican we have no choice.

Neither merit their appointments but they’ve been appointed so just have to accept it.

Sammy talks about fans needs to be prepared for a different brand of cricket.

WI cricket…..particularly in the test batting, has been extremely pedestrian and dour. A perfect reflection of their leader at the time.

So the changes made to bring in Shai Hope, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, and Brandon King who are all stroke makers, make sense to me.

But if that is indeed the rationale, how then does Kraigg Brathwaite of all people retain his spot? He’s the most pedestrian and dour of them all. That’s the selection I can’t quite reconcile.

Unless…….its purely to allow him to record 100 test matches played against his name.

Not only is that directly contrary to the “team before self” credo Sammy talks about, how does Roach not get similar consideration?

I’m ok with Roach being dropped in favour of introducing Layne at this time. Even though I would have been similarly ok had Roach been given the opportunity to say farewell to his international playing career on his home ground.

I would have opted for the latter, but I understand the rationale behind the decision to drop Roach.

Once Chase was named test captain and Warrican his vice captain, I knew there would be no room for Motie in the test squad as long as those 2 were there.

In reply to imusic

i understandd it as well....to an extent. kraigg should not be a part of this team but he has been mediocre so long without consequence and actually talented players like Darren bravo have been ostracized so i get it there. The hope thing i don't understand. We have seen that once hope is confronted by a short pitched barrage, he capitulates and capitulates quickly. this is even in white ball odis where the amount of short pitched bowling is restricted both by law and by circumstance(fielding restrictions). there is a reason he averages 26 after 38 tests. its not that he's getting cheated out. I knew da silva would not be picked but that also does not mean that the decision is not nonsensical. Da Silva, Hodge, Mckenzie and Sinclair. Those were the people that made the brisbane win possible by exceptional batting on a dodgy weicket under lights. none of them are in the squad now...while there are people like kraigg and mikyle louis, who in the former case is talentless and in the latter case, has technical chinks any decent paceman would easily exploit. Australia has 4-5 world class pacemen to call on

In reply to imusic

listen to how an outsider described the west indian selection process


interview with dre russ

In reply to Jumpstart

the Mkyle Louis selection still baffles. but maybe the lead ooops only selector has seen something that we have not over a year of test cricket in which he just got progressively worse