Leonard Baichan

After his successful debut in Pakistan, Baichan’s subsequent Test career was an

anti-climax.

He, in fact, represented the West Indies in only one more Test –the sixth and final

match at Melbourne in February and March 1976 during the next Test series.

In that game, he failed to cope with the pace of Dennis Lillee, Jeffrey Thompson

and Gary Gilmour, and was dismissed for 3 and 20 batting at Number 3

after Fredericks and Richards.

Thereafter Baichan was permanently excluded from the West Indies team.

His exclusion was due largely to the availability of at least three more

accomplished openers, namely :

Roy Fredericks, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes....

that was the official reason given!  :blank:

how u drop a man with a 55 avg? 

was Greenidge able to cope with Lillee and Thompson? 

  why  chairs  were being pelted in the dressing room that very tour? 

don't let the bullshit fool you...he was dropped for more than just 1 failure! 

I still think Baichan could have played a role elsewhere in the order. There are many who are openers at Domestic level but change slots at Internations.

There was then as now ethnic biases and prejudices especially around strength, fitness, physique, endurance and this still exist to this day although the likes of Rampaul has dispelled certain stereotypes in some quarters.

There was then as is now an unofficial 'official' quota system and whilst I am not convinced Baichan was affected by this, he was performing at a time when the competition was stiff.

There is a misnomer perpetuated in history especially during plantocracy that certain people are work horses and although this was aimed at demonising a group of people we have a different take these days.

Baichan was a fine batsman.

Futile. Do we also ask the likes of Ramnarine, Jaggernauth, Dave Mohammed, Inshan Ali etc to tell us the true story? We know there are matters still prevalent we need to purge from our psyche.

I am contented if we always select the best team available even if they are all from the same place but we never select our strongest team a result of the unofficial 'official' quota, insularity, biases and prejudices.

analysis by Mail is right on the money!!

A word is a word but when to imply a negative connotation or in pejorative I tend to refrain from using it. Whether the origin of Nigger is a mispronounciation of the prteguese Negro or depicting those from around the River Niger region, the word is widely used in a negative, belittling manner so I also avoid usage.

Personal choice.