AFTER?LAST?YEAR’S let-down when Barbados failed to reach the semi-finals before their home fans, they will need to pull out all the stops if they are to improve on that performance in the 2014 NAGICO Super50, which bowls off in Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow.
New One-Day captain Kevin Stoute, like Kenroy Williams, who was also surprisingly elevated to the captaincy in 2011, faces a Herculean task.
Stoute, who played in just three of Barbados’ six matches last year without setting the world on fire, now has a secure place on the team by virtue of being appointed captain.
He will be under plenty of pressure, as both a batsman and skipper, in trying to turn around the fortunes of Barbados. Stoute has been in good form and will be keen to do well, not only for Barbados but himself as he tries to get back into the West Indies “A” team and ultimately the senior side.
Barbados has been zoned with hosts Trinidad and Tobago, Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) and the Leeward Islands, and I see absolutely no reason why Barbados shouldn’t reach the semi-finals as this is definitely the softer of the two groups.
Trinidad and Tobago will always be tough nuts to crack on home soil but I believe Barbados have the pace attack to dismiss them cheaply. It is a bit unfortunate that Miguel Cummins, who was a handful for the Trinidadians in the four-day competition, wasn’t selected in the 14-man squad.
But that would’ve meant leaving out the experienced Fidel Edwards, something which the selectors probably weren’t inclined to do. Maybe Fidel will silence his critics with some match-winning bowling displays and show them that he is not past his best.
Nevertheless, the selectors have come up with a fairly good mix of players, even though I thought they could have included another specialist spinner.
Reaped success
There is a saying that you pick horses for courses, and over the years slow bowlers have reaped rewards in the twin-island republic. In fact, nowadays any sort of spin is effective in regional cricket against most of our batsmen, who don’t have the technique to cope with this kind of bowling.
That aside, the support Stoute receives from the senior players, like his predecessor Kirk Edwards, fast bowlers Tino Best and Fidel Edwards, as well as all-rounder Dwayne Smith, will be critical.
Not only must they support Stoute and assist him on the field, they must also perform as that is the only way the team will win matches.
Looking back at last year’s competition, only Dwayne Smith, who played just two matches, Jonathan Carter and Kirk Edwards managed half-centuries.
There is another saying that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Edwards, who has been stripped of the captaincy, must put that disappointment behind him and let the bat do the talking.
He is coming off a brilliant maiden One-Day International century in his final innings on the just concluded tour of New Zealand and will want to improve on his last year’s returns of 102 runs in six matches at an average of 17.00.
Openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Rashidi Boucher must also justify the faith the selectors have shown in them.
The pair played in all six of Barbados’ matches last year but neither managed a half-century. Brathwaite scraped 106 runs at an average of 17.66, with a highest score of 44 while Boucher tallied 127 runs at an average of 21.16. His highest score was just 25.
Won’t be in line-up
With Smith in the side, I expect either Brathwaite or Boucher won’t be in the starting line-up for the team’s opening match against Trinidad and Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval on Sunday.
The final selection of the starting eleven will be extremely difficult as Barbados, with several bit and pieces cricketers in the overall squad, will have to come up with the right mix.
This will be an important tournament for the versatile Jonathan Carter, who needs to put some big scores on the board and again remind the West?Indies’ selectors of his ability.
Lanky left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn will also have a lot to prove as he has not been as economical as in the past. The selectors continue to have confidence in him while casting aside a genuine all-rounder like Ryan Hinds, whose bowling stats at this level
are comparable to Benn’s and nearly all the other spinners in the West Indies.
The off-spin of both Ashley Nurse and batting all-rounder Kenroy Williams, who earned his place on the sheer weight of his performance in the trials and in club cricket, will be vital. Last year, Nurse had an economy rate of 4.00 and Williams 3.80 runs per over.
Wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich, who scored 122 runs and averaged 24 last year, will also want to give the West Indies’ selectors something to think about after others like Chadwick Walton, Devon Thomas and even Jahmar Hamilton were chosen ahead of him during the past year.
Prior to the team’s departure for Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados won the first practice match but then lost the second against the CCC?at the 3Ws Oval.
Why both games were played at the 3Ws Oval and Kensington Oval wasn’t utilized will always be beyond me. Considering that CCC are also in the same group as Barbados, it would’ve been better to play against a Rest XI as there are several quality cricketers in Barbados who have gained selection for either side but are just as good as many of those in the CCC side.
Very few professional teams play friendlies or tune-up matches against sides they will meet in a few days’ time in an official competition as will be the case when Barbados play CCC at Shaw Park in Tobago on February 6.
Over the years, CCC?have found a way to occasionally beat Barbados in regional cricket matches, whether it is T20, 50-over or first-class cricket. Maybe, it is a psychological thing. Let’s see whether CCC will again show up Barbados.
•ezrastuart@gmail.com