So what does the future hold for West Indies?

[Beamer]

West Indies A beat Zimbabwe again to end a thoroughly decent series for the second string. Imran Khan conceded only 18 runs in 4 overs and then hit 60 not out from 33 balls.

Now before this he hasn't played limited overs cricket for T & T and I just can't understand why. He is a tight, quickish leg spinner, decent fielder and can hit the ball a long way when batting.

He has all the attributes of a decent ODI spinner, he just needs a chance to prove it.

 

[shivfan]

Of course i payed attention Mike and at first you said "Deo hasn't earned a spot in the side ahead of Nash or Shiv", but then when his performances got more and more convincing you tried to leave out a bowler which WE ALL KNOW Gibson won't do , as for Shilly, well the man is simply in brilliant form right now, he's forcing the issue and like i've been saying lately he could be our Greaham Swann, i'm not concerned about his "action", if it's not up to par Gibson will be onto it in a flash.

And I still say that Deo has not earned a spot in the side ahead of Nash and Shiv, if Gibson goes for the fourth specialist bowler, ahead of advice to the contrary from Beamer and me....

But I believe Deo should be in the team for the first Test, in the lineup Beamer has posted. As for Shilly's action, that could be why he's in the A team, and not in consideration for the WI main team. Let's see what happens when he tours England.

 

[shivfan]

I really think it would be dangerous to play against a top side like South Africa a bowler light, Kallis, Smith and Amla could take the game away from us before we even get a bat, we MUST put them under pressure in both departments to have a chance of winning, that's why i'd promote either Pascal, Holder or Gabriel, Roach didn't have an amazing record before he was selected and he's done well, so there's no reason to think the others can't have a similar impact.

Well, it hasn't really helped us in the past, selecting the fourth specialist bowler, who ended up being cannon fodder for batsmen on our dead, batting tracks....

I'm not convinced that destroying the young, inexperienced confidence of Pascal, Holder or Gabriel by exposing them to the batting might of Smith, Amla, deVilliers et al on dead batting tracks is the way to go.

 

[shivfan]

West Indies A beat Zimbabwe again to end a thoroughly decent series for the second string. Imran Khan conceded only 18 runs in 4 overs and then hit 60 not out from 33 balls.

Now before this he hasn't played limited overs cricket for T & T and I just can't understand why. He is a tight, quickish leg spinner, decent fielder and can hit the ball a long way when batting.

He has all the attributes of a decent ODI spinner, he just needs a chance to prove it.

Hopefully, these performances will shake the T&T selectors out of their slumber, and that will change with the one-day domestic tournament this autumn....

I really see Imran as the long-term allrounder selection in the WI main side. Hopefully, he will have a good A team tour of England which will see his development continue.

 

[dravid&kallis]

I really think it would be dangerous to play against a top side like South Africa a bowler light, Kallis, Smith and Amla could take the game away from us before we even get a bat, we MUST put them under pressure in both departments to have a chance of winning, that's why i'd promote either Pascal, Holder or Gabriel, Roach didn't have an amazing record before he was selected and he's done well, so there's no reason to think the others can't have a similar impact.

I have to agree with you here. You can't have just 2 frontline seamers operating in a test. That is just handing the test to SA.

I really don't know how Taylor & Edwards are doing at the moment, have seen a bit of Roach and he looks pacy. Bravo is similar to Kallis so if WI don't have any pace resources I would go with an attack of Roach, Taylor, Bravo + Benn. But really if you are SA openers you will be fancying this attack what with Bravo as a 1st change bowler!

 

[roseboy64]

In the Jamaican fans eyes? i agree!! .

Yeah let's ignore Miller playing international cricket for the last year plus.

 

[roseboy64]

I'd drop Bravo TBH and play Rampaul.

 

[shivfan]

This was the A team for the four-day game against Zimbabwe....

Windies A: Kraigg Brathwaite, Justin Guillen, Jason Haynes, Travis Dowlin (captain), Kirk Edwards, Shane Dowrich (wk), Imran Khan, Shane Shillingford, Shannon Gabriel, Nelon Pascal, Brandon Bess

And this is the 14-man squad for the A team tour of Bangladesh....

Travis Dowlin (capt), Adrian Barath, Lionel Baker, Darren Bravo, Odean Brown, Kirk Edwards, Imran Khan, Brendan Nash, Justin Guillen, Nelon Pascal, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton

Strong West Indies A squad to tour Bangladesh | West Indies Cricket News | Cricinfo.com

So, the three standout performers against Zimbabwe have retained their places (Dowlin, Edwards, Shillingford). Guillen keeps his position ahead of Brathwaite, whom Gibson probably feels needs to get some more practice at home with Barbados. Haynes loses his place after a lukewarm performance in the four-day game, while Fudadin has also been left behind. Dowrich didn't really impress with the bat, and maybe not with the gloves either, since Walton replaces him.

Also left out of the squad are pacers Bess, Gabriel and Holder, with the last two probably needing to get selected more for Trinidad and Barbados respectivley to push their stakes higher.

Given that the world 20/20 champs is going on, Gibson is probably using this tour to get his other squad contenders in shape for the Saffer tour of the Caribbean, which follows afterwards. Hence, the selection of Nash, Barath and Lil Bravo for the tour of Bangladesh. It also seems that Baker, Pascal and Tonge have been given a chance to push for that final pacer's slot.

Interesting to see a callup for leggie Odean Brown....

 

[roseboy64]

The five youngest players in the West Indies ‘A’ team that swept all three matches against Zimbabwe in their recent short series in Grenada have been placed in the West Indies Cricket Board’s new High Performance Centre (HPC) in Barbados rather than included in the squad of 14 for the tour of Bangladesh May 2-25.

Chairman Clyde Butts explained yesterday that he and co-selectors Robert Haynes and Raphick Jumadeen felt that the day-to-day attention they would receive at the HPC would more benefit Brendan Bess, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel and Jason Holder at this stage of their development.

Supposedly

 

[shivfan]

Also, Dowrich and Brathwaite are in sixth form, and Holder is in a community college, and we all know that May is exam time....

It would serve them better to stay in the Caribbean right now, as opposed to going on a tour of Bangladesh which may bring only limited chances for improvement.

 

[tooextracool]

I have to agree with you here. You can't have just 2 frontline seamers operating in a test. That is just handing the test to SA.

I really don't know how Taylor & Edwards are doing at the moment, have seen a bit of Roach and he looks pacy. Bravo is similar to Kallis so if WI don't have any pace resources I would go with an attack of Roach, Taylor, Bravo + Benn. But really if you are SA openers you will be fancying this attack what with Bravo as a 1st change bowler!

Bravo needs to be told to go develop his batting. As things stand, his bowling is never going to be good enough for him to get into the side amongst the 4 bowling slots. Instead, he needs to bat at 6 and that is a long shot at the moment because Gayle, Barath, Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Deonarine and Nash take up all those 6 slots. His only way is through Nash and for that he needs to develop his batting considerably.

Bowling attack should be Edwards, Taylor, Roach and Benn.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Yeah let's ignore Miller playing international cricket for the last year plus.

And what's he achieved exactly? one word....

NOTHING!!

 

[shivfan]

Bravo needs to be told to go develop his batting. As things stand, his bowling is never going to be good enough for him to get into the side amongst the 4 bowling slots. Instead, he needs to bat at 6 and that is a long shot at the moment because Gayle, Barath, Sarwan, Chanderpaul, Deonarine and Nash take up all those 6 slots. His only way is through Nash and for that he needs to develop his batting considerably.

Bowling attack should be Edwards, Taylor, Roach and Benn.

Ideally, yes....

But realistically, edwards is out for the rest of the year, most likely, and it's possible he might never be the same again when he comes back.

And Bravo's batting has gone backwards. If he can't be more consistent with his batting by now, he probably never will be.

 

[roseboy64]

And what's he achieved exactly? one word....

NOTHING!!

What's that have to do with him being ahead of whichever 2 bit spinner you're promoting who's done worse than him at domestic level?

 

[roseboy64]

Unless Bravo gets it together in the World Cup I'd play Rampaul over him in the Tests.

 

[WindieWeathers]

What's that have to do with him being ahead of whichever 2 bit spinner you're promoting who's done worse than him at domestic level?

Oh so we should continue to persist with a spinner who hasn't done anything special just because "he's played more international cricket than Shilly"? yep makes perfect sense!! , with that logic Swann would have been kept on the sidelines because Monty had more experience!!!, it doesn't work that way Roseboy, Shilly is killing it right now for the A-team and looks like a genuine threat with the ball, Miller hasn't looked dangerous thus far, it's that simple.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Ideally, yes....

But realistically, edwards is out for the rest of the year, most likely, and it's possible he might never be the same again when he comes back.

And Bravo's batting has gone backwards. If he can't be more consistent with his batting by now, he probably never will be.

I agree.

If, and it's a big if, the Windies can get all three of Roach, Taylor and Edwards fit at the same time, I'd consider leaving out Bravo. But I think Bravo is definitely a better bowler than Rampaul, and as such I'd be happy for him to play at 7 as a genuine bowler, with Ramdin at 8, when one of those three are injured - which tends to be the majority of the time.

 

[roseboy64]

Oh so we should continue to persist with a spinner who hasn't done anything special just because "he's played more international cricket than Shilly"? yep makes perfect sense!! , with that logic Swann would have been kept on the sidelines because Monty had more experience!!!, it doesn't work that way Roseboy, Shilly is killing it right now for the A-team and looks like a genuine threat with the ball, Miller hasn't looked dangerous thus far, it's that simple.

Against who? Zimbabwe? When he does that against quality international teams you have a point. As it stands now Miller and Benn have been doing well enough to be persisted with. Miller also has dominated at domestic level and the only spinners who should be given a shot next based on coming close to him are Khan and Odean Brown.

Learn the game please and thanks.

 

[Prince EWS]

I agree.

If, and it's a big if, the Windies can get all three of Roach, Taylor and Edwards fit at the same time, I'd consider leaving out Bravo. But I think Bravo is definitely a better bowler than Rampaul, and as such I'd be happy for him to play at 7 as a genuine bowler, with Ramdin at 8, when one of those three are injured - which tends to be the majority of the time.

Yeah, indeed. I think there's a low ceiling on what Bravo's bowling can develop into it (unlike his batting) but based on the evidence so far he's, at worst, the fourth best seamer in the region. Edwards and/or Taylor are always injured so he should be getting a regular run for his bowling even if his batting isn't what it could be.

 

[Teja.]

Bravo has to play IMO.