Batlle of the minnows

Not in the wildest dream would anybody have thought that the test series between West Indies and Bangladesh is going to be a battle between the minnows..

West Indies had announced a team led by Chris Gayle earlier this week for the 1st test.

West Indies squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Adrian Barath, Dwayne Bravo, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Runako Morton, Brendan Nash, Ravi Rampaul, Andrew Richardson, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor..

The bowling may be weak but still one would presume that it was enough for Bangladeshis who are lesser than potent in the longer form of the game.. Adrian Barath is a promising and an upcoming star while Runako Morton and Narsingh Deonaraine have been the top scorers in their domestic cup.. Add to that the gritty Shiv Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, the batting looks far too superior and enough to make up for the inexperience in bowling..

But a turnaround of events has seen to it that WI field a 'A' side against Bangladesh..

Dinanath Ramnarine: "Professional sportsmen should not be allowed to play any sport that has such a high risk without the necessary protection"

 Wondering who Dinanath Ramnaraine is, he is the head of WIPA, West Indies Players' Association.. The only memory I have of him is he is a leg spinner who appealed a lot for LBWs only to be turned down and make the then umpire Srinivas Venkatraghavan angrily shout at him to return back to his bowling mark.. A decent spinner who had enough variations to surprise batsman every now and then.. He heads WIPA and has stood for the players' cause against WICB, the cricket board of West Indies.. On Tuesday, the WIPA announced a boycott by the original squad of the first Test against Bangladesh starting on Thursday and said the players had played for four successive tournaments without receiving contracts.

WICB have reacted to this and have announced a second string squad that would take on Bangladesh today.. There are 9 uncapped players in the list..

Former top-order batsman Floyd Reifer, who played four Tests between 1997 and 1999 and now plays his cricket for the Combined Colleges and Campus team in the West Indies domestic tournament, was appointed captain, while Darren Sammy, who was part of the recent ICC World Twenty20, was named his deputy.

Uncapped players include Barbados' Dale Richards, and Kraigg Brathwaite, a prolific 16-year old batsman, Combined Colleges and Campuses' Ryan Austin, Chadwick Walton, Omar Phillips and Kevin McClean, Jamaica's Andre Creary, Guyana's Travis Dowlin, and Grenada's Nelon Pascal. 

Richards and Pascal were part of the squad that toured England for a series before the World Twenty20. The 32-year-old Richards missed out on his Test debut when a foot injury ruled him out of contention for the first Test against England in Jamaica earlier this year. 

Tino Best, the fast bowler, who had joined the ICL for year in 2008, and last played a Test in 2005, has also been called up, as has Kemar Roach, who played two ODIs and one Twenty20 international. Jamaican batsman David Bernard, who played his only Test in 2003, and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, who has played 15 ODIs, were also named in the squad.

The last time West Indies players actually took action, ten players - including then captain Brian Lara - boycotted the 2005 tour of Sri Lanka against a background of unprecedented controversy and confusion. A bitter, protracted row between the WICB and the players' association over sponsorship led to the late withdrawal of ten of the original squad of 13, including Lara, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Replacement players were called up for the Test series, which West Indies ended up losing 2-0.


West Indies squad for the first Test Omar Phillips, Dale Richards, Floyd Reifer (capt), Travis Dowlin, Chadwick Walton (wk), Darren Sammy, Kemar Roach, Ryan Austin, Tino Best, Kevin McClean, Nelon Pascal, Andre Creary, Nikita Miller, Kraigg Brathwaite, David Bernard. 


Ryan Austin has picked up 9 wickets in the recently concluded practice match against the touring team., Kemar Roach was impressive in the 1st innings picking up 5 wickets.. David Bernard, Dale Richards, Darren Sammy, Tino Best will look to utilize this opportunity to stake claim in the actual side once the issues are resolved..

Until then looks like the battle of the minnows is on, telecast live on Ten Sports starting today..