Windies have named their squad for the 1st test:
Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Brian Lara (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Smith, Ridley Jacobs (wk), Dave Mohammed, Ravi Rampaul, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, Jermaine Lawson, Pedro Collins.
A bit of a surprise to see Mohammed suddenly recalled, but there's no reason why he shouldn't still be regarded as the best specialist spin option - after a fairly promising debut in South Africa - so I'm happy enough with that.
Can anyone though, shed any light on the continued absence of Ryan Hinds? Is he injured? Has he annoyed the Master Blaster by suggesting that Vivian is really a girl's name? Whenever the name Hinds comes up in selection meetings does everyone say: "Nah, he's that useless Jamaican left-hander who never moves his feet and always drives the ball in the air. Let's pick Dwayne Smith."
"Ah, but isn't he that infuriating Bajan who hits everything in the air....".
"Then what about Daren Gan- Ugh!"
**at which point the men in white coats appear, grab the clearly bewildered selector in a choke hold and quickly carry him away, to strangled/addled cries of: "But he.. *choke* *splutter*...plays so straight...He'll score - aaargh, that's my trachea your crushing! - hundreds. Daaaaarrreeeennn....."
Or, am I making a mountain out of a molehill and he's actually not good enough?
Answers on a postcard to.....Hang on, on second thoughts you could just reply to this thread.