Windies selectors name Devon Smith, Carlton Baugh and David Bernard Jnr. in 14-man squad to face Australia in first Test at Bourda Thursday
The West Indies senior cricket selectors-Sir Viv Richards, Joey Carew and Gordon Greenidge yesterday evening announced three new comers in the 14-man West Indies squad for the first Test against Australia at Bourda in Guyana from April 10-14.
Grenada left-hander Devon Smith, and Jamaicans David Bernard and Carlton Baugh are the newcomers while sacked skipper Carl Hooper has kept his place in the Brian Lara led side and is almost certain to play on his home ground where he recorded his highest test score, a magnificent double century against India last year.
The 36-year old Hooper has averaged 45.95 with 1,609 runs from his last 22 test - all as captain - including four centuries and his fine 130 in the semi-final against Jamaica at Albion last week proved that he is in top form and fully fit.
According to sources close to the selection panel, once Hooper, with four wins and 11 defeats from his 22 tests as skipper as opposed to Lara’s 18 tests as captain with 10 defeats and six wins, made himself available he was an automatic selection at this point in West Indies cricket.
Smith has been rewarded for his consistent form for the Windward Islands in the last two years and is one of three openers selected. This year he scored 572 runs at an average of 40.85 despite making a double duck in his last game against Guyana.
Baugh’ s emergence at a time when the West Indies is looking for a good ‘keeper who can produce with the bat is good news. The wicketkeeper had 15 catches and two stumpings. He also scored five half-centuries and an even hundred in 486 runs (Ave.40.50) playing for the West Indies `B’ team this season and is expected to be the understudy to Ridley Jacobs, who has been retained.
David Bernard’s selection for the test squad has raised a few eye brows but according to informed sources the selectors feel he has the talent to develop into a valuable all-rounder at the highest level.
The selection of the 21-year-old, is a bold one and could be seen as a pick for the future to start grooming the youngster from now. His 25 wickets and close to 448 runs including a century and two fifties suggest that he has the ability to go all the way.
Trinidad and Tobago captain Darren Ganga has been recalled for his first home series and although he batted in the middle for his country this season he has been selected as an opener and could start the innings with left-hander Wavell Hinds.
The gifted Lara and the reliable Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the exciting Marlon Samuels form the rest of the batting in a young side with only three players (Hooper, Lara and Jacobs) over 30.
No specialist spinner has been selected with Hooper expected to do the spinning on what should be a flat Bourda track.
Three specialist fast bowlers (Mervin Dillon, Vasbert Drakes and left armer Pedro Collins) have been selected along with fast bowling all-rounder Bernard who could make his teat debut if the selectors look to sure up their batting while still playing four quicks.
Vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan is not yet fit due to his injured finger and according the WICB a vice captain from the eleven will be named for the first test.
The squad reads:- Lara (captain), Hinds, Ganga, Hooper, Bernard, Baugh, Collins, Drakes, Dillon, Chanderpaul, Samuels, Jacobs and Jermaine Lawson.
Meanwhile the omission of opener Chris Gayle from the squad has been based on the left hander, with 28 tests, 1,588 runs at an average of 35.7 including two hundreds and nine fifties, deciding to participate in the World Cup double wicket competition in St. Lucia.
Gayle. who joined forces with Hooper to qualify for today’s semi final the Carib Beer Challenge semi final but failed to make himself available for the final.
It is understood that Gayle had agreed to play in the double wicket
competition organised by the St. Lucia Tourist Board before the dates for the Carib Beer final was changed.
The final was pushed back by one week because of the late arrival in the Caribbean of the India `A’ team but by playing in the World Cup, which carries a first prize of $US65,000, Gayle could be in breach of the WICB’s eligibility rule.
The WICB has asked the Jamaica Board and Gayle to submit reports on the circumstances that led to Gayle’s non selection for Jamaica in the Carib Beer final.
The Jamaica Board has submitted a report but the WICB is still awaiting the report from Gayle before making a decision on whether he is in breach of the eligibility rule.
The rule states in part that ...”A player becomes eligible for selection to the senior West Indies team when he makes himself available for selection to his national side in a competition immediately preceding the selection of a West Indies team for an international series.”
In his written report, the Jamaica Cricket Board president, Jackie Hendericks. stated..”I am not aware that any formal permission was given by the Jamaica Cricket Association for Gayle to miss the final.”
It is understood that the organisers of the competition were willing to allow Gayle to pull out of the double wicket but Gayle wanted to play.
The WICB has advised chairman Richards that until such time that a
decision has been made to the contrary, Gayle is eligible for selection on the West Indies team.