Wilkinson promises impartiality as senior national cricket selection chair

Newly appointed chair of national senior cricket selection committee Roland Wilkinson promises that he would serve with impartiality, despite still being an active cricketer.{{more}}

Wilkinson, a former St Vincent and the Grenadines and Windwards middle order batsman, who plays for Team Rivals in the local competitions, was last week named by the executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association to head that committee.

“There will be no bias, as I am a very straight forward person…. The way I intend to work and work with the other selectors is that we are going to pick people who perform,” Wilkinson told SEARCHLIGHT last Saturday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

“Once you perform, that will get you into the trials and from there you still have to perform… It is not about players who we like… All the players have to do is to make my job easy, once you perform,” the senior national selection chair added.

Wilkinson, who has no previous experience as a national selector, said he is embracing the “challenge.”

“I know about cricket; I have been around cricket a while.. I am still playing, so I get to see the players on a regular basis, as I am heavily involved playing cricket,” Wilkinson proffered.

Wilkinson noted that the policy outlined by the executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association will be strictly followed by his panel.

The new chair was quoted in the local press recently as being dissatisfied with the non-selection of fellow Rivals teammate Casmond Walters to the St Vincent and the Grenadines team to the 2014 Windward Islands tournament.

Walters had scored two fifties and a hundred in the trials, but could not make the final team to St Lucia.

But Wilkinson vouched that such would not happen during his tenure.

Apart from Wilkinson, also added to the senior selection panel is experienced coach Wendell Glasgow, along with former Barbados batsman, and current coach with the local Grassroots Cricket programme Arnold Gilkes.

Lance John, a former St Vincent and the Grenadines, Windward Islands and Combined Islands opening batsman, is the lone selector from the former panel who is still in place.

Exiting from the panel were Urias King and Gosnel Cupid.

Meanwhile, long-standing St Vincent and the Grenadines and Windwards Under-15 manager and durable secretary of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association Samuel Holder, plus former St Vincent and the Grenadines and Windwards leg spinner Olanzo Jackson, form part of the youth selection panel.

This panel is completed by former St Vincent and the Grenadines female player and current committee member of the SVGCA Samantha Lynch.

A release from the SVGCA stated that a member from the senior panel will chair the youth panel.

The two selection panels will serve for two years.(RT)