When there is consistent failure in any sporting discipline it usually signals that there is time for change and for some to be relieved of their posts.The West Indies latest failure in the just concluded T20 World Cup was yet another reflection of sustained inconsistency, but it also brought into focus that we didn’t select our best team.The selectors should be made to answer. Even before the ink was dried on the paper they wrote the names of the  15 to represent the West Indies. It was evident that the absence of Dwayne Smith and Lendl Simmons was a wrong move.The subsequent reason given by coach Ottis Gibson for the exclusion  of Smith was widely questioned and might haunt him for a long  time to come. If Smith was targeted for not being able to handle pressure in certain situations the World Cup proved that there were quite a few of his colleagues who also fitted into this category, but still made the team. Simmons, like Smith,  is multi-skilled and his inclusion should have been automatic. He was also missing from the ‘A’ team’s tour of Bangladesh, so there could be more in the mortar than the pestle.I honestly believe  there is a need for  frank disclosure by the authorities in matters such as these so that the public can make a clearer assessment of the situation instead  of having to speculate.For argument sake, if you have to juxtapose the exclusion of Smith and Simmons against the inclusion of Wavell Hinds then there is even greater reason for the selectors  to be held accountable.Hinds looked lost when he got his chance, but he didn’t pick himself. Some suggest he may have been the captain’s pick, but if there was a preference  for another Jamaican in the squad it should have been Carlton Baugh  who could do no worse than Denesh Ramdin  or Andre Fletcher as a wicketkeeper-batsman.There is nothing wrong in having horses for courses and in a case where his immediate rivals were found wanting in recent competition. Baugh would have been the better choice  in my opinion.But for Barbados’ baffling handling of Patrick Browne in the past two seasons there could have been a role for him too. I don’t think there  is a role for Chanderpaul or Sarwan in this form  of cricket, but we tend  to go with the traditional in all things. Surely, based on who we have, the two will be first options in the game’s longer versions but T20 appears to be a bit too rushed for their style.  Overall, we still seem a little short of commitment on the field and unless individuals find a goal on which to focus I think we will continue to struggle. For me, the biggest motivation has to be the defence of our rich cricketing legacy. No amount of money can buy that – only a knowledge of history and  a dedicated responsibility to defend what has been achieved by their predecessors, will make  a major difference in the way West Indies perform in the future.Nevertheless, congratulations to the respective winners England in the men and Australia in the women. For all we know they may have gotten their selection right to begin with!• Andi Thornhill is sports editor of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.

VERY OFTEN, the  world stage throws up individuals who rise  to the challenge and others who falter.             I think it would be true to say that the West Indies have seen the emergence of two players in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament who have flourished in the spotlight.       Surely, the most outstanding individual performance in the tournament has been registered by 18 year-old Barbadian all-rounder Deandra Dottin. Her swashbuckling, historic century against South Africa was stunning and announced her as a player with a considerable amount of ability.           The manner of her demolition of the South African attack was in the vein you would associate with the likes of a Chris Gayle, a Virender Sehwag or an Adam Gilchrist.This is esteemed company, you would reason, but the statistical brutality of her knock vindicates the comparison. Her 112 came from a mere 45 balls, the last 50 off 13 deliveries, a grand  total of nine sixes  and seven fours.      This was an innings  of authority and one that would give Dottin  and by extension her team a psychological advantage when she goes  to the crease against  the opposition.Actually, I believe she  is saving another special delivery for the semi-finals and, hopefully, the final.I know she has received accolades from various quarters but I still think that the local authorities should make it a point  to do something  special for her. This is where the talent was harnessed with the help of coaches like Richard Clarke, Alfred Campbell and Sherwin Campbell. The onus is on us to highlight and reward her remarkable feat. I remember Dottin as a very shy but determined field athlete with good skill in the discus, shot put and javelin. She was good enough to medal at the CARIFTA Games. She is now poised  to make her mark  in world cricket.And on the men’s end, have you noticed the pep in the step of Darren Sammy?  The St Lucian  all-rounder is revelling  in the World Twenty20 atmosphere. Two Man Of The Match awards in the preliminary rounds sent the media seeking him out for interviews and he has been up to the task. His words are measured and he has humbly deflected the attention away from himself to the team effort. His contribution to the West Indies’ vital victory over India shouldn’t be underestimated, as he was very visible in motivating the players in the field  on Sunday.Should he continue to get the selectors’ nod in all forms of the game, could he be a serious contender for the leadership in time to come? Made to live in the shadows of other regional all-rounders in the past, Sammy has always been an honest, committed player who gives his all  on every occasion. What more can you ask especially at a time when the work ethic of some of his colleagues is questioned?      The Sammy model, if emulated, can be the path for the revival we need in West Indies cricket. It is that plain for the world to see.• Andi Thornhill is sports editor at the Caribbean Brodcasting Corporation. He can  be reached at andithornhill@yahoo.com