Managing workload and team selection

In the face of debates over team selections, it is always heartening to hear from those who are given the task of making the choices.

The announcements of some teams for the regional first-class Championship, which starts January 9 and the West Indies squad for the first two One-Day Internationals in the three-match series against Ireland at Kensington Oval next Tuesday and Thursday would have given fans plenty to talk about.

Managing the workload of key players is an issue, which has come into focus as far as the Barbados Pride and West Indies teams are concerned.

Experienced fast bowler Kemar Roach, who is approaching 200 Test wickets, is not in the Barbados team for the opening match against Windward Islands Volcanoes in St. Vincent following a request from Cricket West Indies (CWI) that he plays six of the maximum ten matches. Of those, it has been suggested that he turns out in the five at home.

And following a very hectic 2019 season during which he played in all three formats, Test captain Jason Holder will be rested for both the ODI and Twenty20 series against Ireland, with the T20 featuring three matches as well.

“We see the need to manage Kemar and Jason’s workloads to get the best out of them for 2020,” said CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams.

After the tour by Ireland, West Indies are to visit Sri Lanka for three ODIs and a couple T20Is in February and March before their next major assignment – a three-Test tour to England in June.

“Jason will be rested during the Ireland series and will be unavailable for Barbados until the end of the series against Sri Lanka in February. He will then be assessed coming out of the SL series and a decision made and communicated on what his regional workloads will be for the later rounds of the 4-day competition,” Adams wrote.

“Regarding Kemar, team management have communicated their requirements for Kemar’s involvement in 4-day cricket leading into the England series.”

Barbados Pride boast of eight current Test players in Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Jomel Warrican and Roach.

Hope and Chase are in the West Indies squad for the ODI series against Ireland.

Now, with the naming of the Barbados 13-man squad for the match against Windward Islands, I spoke with relatively new chairman of the Barbados selection panel, Henderson Broomes, who is now into his ninth straight year as a selector.

Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Shane Dowrich, Dominic Drakes, Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Chemar Holder, Kyle Mayers, Shayne Moseley, Ashley Nurse, Tevyn Walcott, Jomel Warrican.

HOLDER: There are a few notable omissions, namely fast bowler Kemar Roach and experienced all-rounders Kevin Stoute and Carlos Brathwaite. What was the thinking of the selectors and can you put the matter with Jason Holder and Roach in perspective?

BROOMES: As far as Jason and Kemar are concerned, I had a conversation with the West Indies head coach Phil Simmons as well as Jimmy Adams. They asked that Jason be rested and suggested that Kemar plays the five home matches and one away game. They still want to make sure that Kemar does a fair amount of bowling.

I also want to state that while Kraigg is the current captain, we asked the BCA Board to appoint Jason as the captain so once he is available he will be captain.

When we looked at the balance, Kevin continues to be still a player of interest. It is not a case where we have moved past Kevin entirely but in a season where we will have all of the international players available at one time or another we felt it would be a better option for development purposes and continuity to have a player like Justin Greaves in the team more so than Kevin.

We still have players like Carlos Brathwaite, who can also be considered one who is highly touted to be in the first 13. It is a difficult call to make when you have so many worthy contenders.

Kevin was outstanding in the trials but it doesn’t always come down to everything in the trials.

HOLDER: What is the status of Greaves from a bowling perspective?

BROOMES: Justin has reported to us through Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League medical team that he has a slight stress fracture, which prevents him from bowling. Those were the reports forwarded to the Barbados Cricket Association.

Everyone who knows Justin, know of his batting credentials more so than bowling.

HOLDER: Have you spoken with Carlos Brathwaite and Stoute since the team was selected?

BROOMES: Carlos was the ultimate professional. After the team was selected, I had direct contact with him and he promised that he would be at practice the next day. The same day the team was selected, Carlos came into the island from a family commitment and he was at practice the very next day.

We spoke and he gave his full commitment to Barbados cricket and he would put all the yards in to make sure that he is ready. His interaction with the players who were at practice was very good.

Kevin on the other hand, his initial response was a little down. He asked for a meeting with the chairman of selectors, which was granted and we had a very good heart to heart on how Kevin sees himself and how the selectors see Kevin going forward in fighting to regain his place in the Barbados team.

The truth is that there were a few points Kevin made to me in that in going forward I will implement in the way the selectors deal with players, who have not been selected. All in all, I think that the discussion with Kevin was healthy.

HOLDER: There are two specialist wicket-keeper/batsmen in Dowrich and Walcott. How should one view Walcott’s selection?

BROOMES: Walcott’s form in club cricket and the trials remains outstanding following from his performances with the bat last season. He kept his place in the team even when Dowrich was available, purely on his batting.

HOLDER: Do you care to detail the likely batting order?

BROOMES: We have a strong opening pair in Kraigg and Moseley and loads of experience in Brooks, Carter and Dowrich. Based on conditions, we have to determine if we go in with six specialist batsmen and an all-rounder in Mayers, or the all-rounder at No. 6 and five bowlers.

I would like to see Dowrich bat at No. 5. With Hope and Chase missing, we need to give Dowrich some more batting responsibility.

Because of the depth of the fast bowling, there will be a rotation system in place. Again based on conditions, with two international spinners in Warrican and Nurse, it could be a case where we may play only one spinner.

I think Ashley’s cricket over the past seven months or so has been outstanding. I think he has found the correct pace to bowl at and the lines he should have been bowling at. I wouldn’t like to burden him with the all-rounder’s role but we know the capability of his batting, so it gives the team that comfort.

In Harding, Chemar Holder, Drakes and not forgetting Akeem Jordan, any of those four pacers who manage to get a good season could be on the fringe of West Indies selection to England. I think we need to give the pacers as much exposure as possible.

HOLDER: The last time Barbados won the first-class Championship was in 2014. What would you say to fans, who are hungry for success?

BROOMES: I think over the last three or four years, Barbados had a chance of winning the competition even though we were going the development route. You would have noticed that we developed a number of players, who were under the age of 25.

It was a strategic move to introduce so many young players into the set-up. For a continuity plan, we felt it was important to have younger players introduced into the first-class arena because we will not always have the services of the international players. We still have to open an avenue.

The trials did not reach the heights that I wanted but were still a good standard. Our bench will be very strong.

What I will say is that the Barbados public is very knowledgeable, but if they believe there is a discrepancy in the team that has been selected, go after the selectors and not the players. Support the players.

Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and International cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (now Elite) Championship for over three-and-a-half decades and is responsible for editing the BCA website (www.bcacricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com