Butts talks on WI team choices

by HAYDN GILL in AntiguaWEST INDIES’ cricket selectors have duplicated the unsuccessful World Twenty20 squad for the series against South Africa because possible replacements are in Bangladesh and others in the Caribbean have failed to make use of previous chances.While pointing to immaturity among the players for the recent global tournament, chairman of selectors Clyde Butts said his panel had little alternative but to stick with the World Twenty20 unit.“We did not do as well as we were capable of. When you look at the team we had and the way we played, we could not have done much better,” Butts told NATIONSPORT prior to the  start of the first Digicel Twenty20 International against South Africa at the Vivian Richards  Stadium yesterday.“Sometimes, you don’t mind losing, but the way we lost was bad for our cricket. The players need to show a bit more determination and more maturity in the way we approach our cricket.”West Indies played impressively in the Group Stages to beat Ireland and England, but were up and down in the Super Eights where a victory against India was cancelled out by defeats to Sri Lanka  and Australia.Against the background that  the team included several seasoned players, Butts was disappointed  by the level of maturity.“It was a little bit of a surprise. At that level of cricket , you expect much more out of our players,”  he said.“It’s the cricket knowledge. Look at the way we batted against Australia and to a lesser extent against Sri Lanka. One would have expected us to show that we are capable players and that we could have put up a better fight.”With that admission, many pundits might have expected a few changes for the South Africa series from the World Twenty20 15-man squad in which the lone casualty was Wavell Hinds.Even with the West Indies ‘A’ team in Bangladesh, some observers reckoned that those like Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith and Carlton Baugh could have been given consideration.“Haven’t those players been given a chance as well? Butts asked. Should we go back to the  old guard or should we give these players a little bit more of a run and then try and look to our ‘A’ team for the future. That is how  we the selectors looked at it. “We selected these players  for the World Cup. They had five games. They have two T20 games here and five ODIs. There are going to be times in the near future when the team is going to change. The Test matches are coming up. I am sure you are not going to see some of the same players for the  Test series.”In looking to the future, the chairman of selectors said the reintroduction of regular matches for the West Indies ‘A’ was a step in the right direction.The team had a recent series in the Caribbean against Zimbabwe and is rounding off a trip to Bangladesh where a few players have enhanced their claims for promotion.“There are a lot of things  that need to be put in place.  One of the things that has been  put in place is the ‘A’ team. The young players in Bangladesh are performing,” Butts said.“That is one of the good things that is happening now and these players will understand that those players are right up their backside. There are replacement players that can replace them.”