We need commission of inquiry into Windwards Cricket
Fri Feb 07, 2013
EDITOR: It is entirely outrageous and absolutely unacceptable that Miles Bascombe has been twice denied the opportunity to represent the Windward Islands cricket team in the regional NAGICO Super 50 tournament for 2014. {{more}}
Mr Bascombe was denied once when the selectors refused to pick him in the original 14-man squad despite his vast experience, brilliant recent form and chart topping averages. They offered him the mild consolation of a place among the three reserves. Miles was then denied a second time when these same seemingly spiteful selectors by-passed the reserves and chose Craig Emmanuel to replace Darren Sammy after they realised that Sammy would not be available for the tournament.
To be sure, Craig is my friend and I wish him well. We played a lot of cricket together, we were in fact opening partners and roommates in Guyana during the 2003 West Indies Under-19 cricket competition, but the truth is that he did not have a very good season and his selection could not be justified by his performances or any other reasonable criteria. It is really very regrettable that selectors who did not see it fit to pick him initially have now exposed the young man to public ridicule.
We need to launch a commission of inquiry into the Windward Islands selection practices which do not seem to place too much of a premium on following sensible guidelines. In the case of Miles, the selectors have violated two fundamental principles:
1. That a man should be selected on the basis of his performance.
2. That a replacement player should be drawn from the reserves.
These irresponsible selectors, whoever they are, are taking this thing too far and we canât afford to just sit back and make them feel as if they could act with impunity. Their actions are not in the best interest of our game.
R T Luke V Browne
lukebrowne@yahoo.com
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