Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 14, 2015 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
I have a different take to most on the West Indies team for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. I am not concerned about the non-selection of Dwayne Bravo or Kieron Pollard; they would NOT have been included in any side that I have selected.
Firstly, I consider them as T20 specialists. Both Bravo and Pollard have proven their worth in T20 cricket. They are world-class performers in that version.
They should stick to T20 because that is where they shine. With both in the West Indies T20 lineup, the Caribbean has an unbeatable team.
One-day cricket is a different kettle of fish. Bravo has played in one hundred and sixty-four one-day internationals and his average does not command the respect of a world-class batting all-rounder. Jacques Kallis was a world-class batting all-rounder.
His batting average is 44.36 in a whooping 328 one-day internationals. Bravo’s stats are much better in bowling. He has 199 wickets in 164 one-day internationals. Compared to his batting record, he is therefore better classified as a bowling all- rounder.
How does he rank with some of the great bowling all-rounders? One great bowling all-rounder was Imran Khan. He played 175 one-day internationals, eleven more than Bravo has played so far. Khan’s 182 wickets cost him 26.61 runs each, as compared to Bravo’s 29.51 for his 199 wickets.
But Khan’s batting average was far higher at 33.41 than Bravo’s present abysmal batting average of 25.36. These stats I believe do not justify Bravo being included in the West Indies one-day international side.
The batting of both Bravo and Pollard in ODIs is average. Both of them average just around 25 and their bowling economy rate is nothing to shout about.
Bravo does have an excellent bowling strike rate, but this is offset by his high overall bowling average of close to 30 runs per wicket and an economy rate of 5.41.
Pollard is no spring chicken when it comes to one-day internationals. He has played 91 one day matches and averages a mere 25.20 in his batting.
He cannot be classified as an all-rounder even though he does bowl. His wickets in one-day internationals have come at 38.11 per piece which is high, and at an economy rate of 5.57, which is not even better than Bravo’s.
Statistically, therefore, these two players cannot be considered as world-class 50-over players. Their stats in T20s, however, cannot be faulted.
A second reason why they would not have made my squad was because of the need for balance. One-day internationals are of 50-over duration.
You cannot have a one-day international squad packed with all-rounders. That may be good for T20 cricket, but it does not do any good to have a team filled with all-rounders for 50-over cricket. Already the West Indies squad has three all-rounders.
The weakness of the West Indies squad is that it lacks sufficient numbers of specialist bowlers and batsmen.
Chanderpaul should have been in that squad, because even though he is normally a slow batsman, his batting style is suited to run-accumulation. For any team to get a big score in 50-over cricket, they need someone to accumulate runs throughout the innings.
But a decision was taken long ago that Chanderpaul was not going to be part of the future of West Indies T20 and One-day International sides. It now seems as if a similar decision has been taken with respect to Bravo and Pollard.
Thirdly, if you are going to include Bravo and Pollard, it needs to be asked just who is going to be dropped. The team selected for the World Cup already has too many all-rounders in Jonathan Carter, Darren Sammy and Andre Russell.
One can make a case that perhaps Pollard would have been a better pick than Carter. The selectors may, however, have been looking for someone to stay long at the crease, especially given the fact that there is no Chanderpaul or Sarwan in the squad. They may have been looking for a Carter rather than a Pollard.
In terms of who Bravo would replace, the obvious choice was Andre Russell. The selectors have instead favoured Russell over Bravo.
The Chairman of the selectors thinks highly of Russell, even as a Test player. Russell’s batting record is superior to Bravo’s and while he is not as good a bowler as Bravo he can more than match the heroics of Bravo in the field.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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