By Neto Baptiste
Former West Indies captain and legendary batsman, Sir Vivian Richards, says that amidst the debate regarding the selection of the senior men’s cricket team for the T20 World Cup, Caribbean fans should rally behind the team.
“Regardless of whatever squad it is, we are Caribbean people and we’ve got to get behind the team, so until they do whatever, then let’s support. We haven’t had the best in terms of preparation leading up to the T20 World Cup, but you never know, things can turnaround. The guys could find some energy and gel together as a team, and Australia is a place that I know, it can be done because it is a magnificent place, in my opinion, to play cricket so things can change around,” he said.
Selectors, on Wednesday, named a 15-member squad for the ICC competition to be played in Australia from October 16 to November 13. One of the notable omissions from the squad was all-rounder Andre Russell, who was part of their team in the last edition in the UAE.
Pundits argue that the elected West Indies T20 World Cup squad signals that the two-times winners are moving away from the golden generation as the likes of Russell, Kieron Pollard (retired), Dwayne Bravo (retired) and Sunil Narine will not travel with the West Indies.
Asked what role the sitting captain should play in the selection of the team, Sir Viv, said he should be given a “fair say.”
“I think it’s fair enough for a captain to have a fair say about individuals that he trusts and stuff like that, and as I said, it’s all about the trust factor, believing in the captain, and if you believe in the captain and he asks for something, then most times, selectors would agree. It has to be something really abnormal for them to not to,” he said.
The West Indies are the only team to have won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup twice, in Sri Lanka in 2012 and in India in 2016. The West Indies campaign to win an unprecedented third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title starts on October 17, when they take on Scotland in first of three Group B fixtures played at the Bellerive Oval, in Hobart, Tasmania to qualify for the Super 12 phase of the tournament.