West indies selection policy

I think the worse selection in this South Africa Squad and the worst decision of the West Indies team has been Royston Chase and I think it reeks of favouritism. No I am not anti Bajan and would actually take a swap for Shai Hope right now because I believe in Hopes class and he has already won test matches for us. Plus he averages just about 50 In ODI CRICKET. Based on who is there I would play Athanaze and just invest in him and not Chase. Chase needs to be chased out of town and I see no scenario that makes him redeemable save and except he returns to the first class set up and makes 3 hundreds in a season.

Let’s look at the stats for perspective. Before Chase was mysteriously, mistakenly and mischievously recalled to the test side in Australia to play as the lone spinner, Chase averaged 26.78 overall. If that wasn’t bad enough over his last 20 innings before he was dropped Royston Chase amassed 267 runs at an average of 13.35. In those 20 innings he had 12 single digit scores including 4 ducks. Since his return he has scored a whopping 228 runs with 2 half centuries over 8 innings including the recent one against South Africa with an amazing average of 28.5.

Chase was picked as the spinner for the Australia tour and did nothing and then somehow by Zimbabwe was picked as a batsman who also bowls. They brought in Motie as the spinner in Zimbabwe. All told in 5 tests including this innings Chase has picked up 6 wickets. In Australia as the lone spinner he got 3 wickets and in Zimbabwe he also got 3 wickets in two tests. He has not gotten any as yet against South Africa.

Can someone then please educate me on why Royston Chase is in the team? Royston Chase having been dropped before did not return to the regional first class and scored a century. He didn’t play for the A team and score any runs or take any wickets. But he is somehow parachuted into the squad having done nothing at first class level, nothing at ODI level and nothing at franchise cricket level.

Again for me picking HOPE or Pooran makes more sense if you want to pick experienced players. King also is a better fit as King also made a hundred in the last first class season. Poor and played some first class games in New Zealand. I am more than enraged by the Chase selection as it makes no sense in any era. Again I say that Athanaze should be the choice since he is in the squad and did well recently at regional level. Ideally for me he should have made at least two hundreds but to pick him having only made one hundred is a bit soon for me. However he should have played as the batsman. Imagine you have Chase batting at 5. So bring Athanaze at 5 and done. The selection of Chase sickens and saddens me because it doesn’t merely scream that we are mediocre but that we are below mediocre and that having been dropped you do t have to do anything but breathe and return first as a bowler then as a batsman. This kind of selection has never been done over the last 30 years that I have been following West Indies cricket and I now question whether maybe Chase is somebody’s good friend.

Have you ever seen a person dropped as a batsman and recalled as a bowler without doing anything as a bowler then do nothing as a bowler and return as a batsman and still average 28?

People talk about Raymond Reiner who was a bowler who bats occasionally now being the number 3 batsman. Reiner played his first test as a bowler who bats and batted at number 8. However Reiner was dropped and returned to first class cricket as a number 3 batsman and scored centuries. Then went and scored a hundred against a touring England side. So he deserves his pick for my part. But what can Royston Chase point to?

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell helped his local club St Catherine CC as he led his side to comprehensive innings and a 129-run win over St Thomas in the 2nd round of the Jamaica Cricket Association Senior Cup at the weekend.

In the 2.5 yrs (Aug 19 - Dec 21) prior to Roston Chase's test recall he averaged

Bat: 17 Ball: 46

He inexplicably got recalled at the end of 2022

He was the specialist spinner in Australia & batted #8

Promoted to #6 batting all-rounder vs Zim

Now he is test match #5 vs SA

Got to play 6 genuine batsmen then the allrounder(s). Allrounders can't do batsman's job.

A young team can't handle the pressure alone, so we definitely need to take some of our senior players with us when we go to the World Cup.

Only my opinion. what's your opinion 🤔

All-rounder Dominic Drakes has played 3 First-Class games in his career to date but is selected in the Headley/Weekes tri-series

If he performs well in the 2 games, would you consider him a candidate for Test selection?