While agreeing that one has to deal with the future in mind, former Windward Islands opener Lockhart Sebastien believes that picking too many young players is not a good thing.
Sebastien is a wide ranging interview with the T&T Guardian in Dominica where the first Test of the Sir Frank Worrell Series is being played said: ”While I think that the selectors should always keep their mind on the future, they have to make changes in a phased basis. I think that the dropping of Shivnarine Chanderpaul was not the right thing to do at this point in time. They should have given him the two Test matches against Australia and then wave good bye in a tangible way. The man has served West Indies cricket brilliantly and giving him the two matches should not have been a problem.
“I know that the management is keen on getting the young players in but they also have to control the number of them they are using at one time. They need to have that experience mixed in there and looking at what has transpired in the first Test, that experience is lacking. Chanderpaul’s experience was much needed out there in this clash.”
Chanderpaul the 40-year old veteran was dropped from the West Indies team just 86 runs short of becoming the highest run scorer in Tests for the Caribbean side.
He has vowed to come back, saying he will use his bat to do the talking and hopefully he gets a look in. For that to happen, there would have to be a change in the selection panel, as the current one led by Sir Clive Lloyd and including Courtney Walsh, Courtney Browne and Eldine Baptiste has shown an inclination to go for youth.
They have packed the squad for the Australian series with young players. Among them are Guyanese Rajindra Chandrika, Shai Hope, Shane Dowrich and Jermaine Blackwood.
