this is very sad .. .

[Gamma]

the oz tail add over 100 runs .....

[myYout]

Right, dat nuh good at all. Wi did so well yessideh

[Gamma]

328 AO ... 2 wickets in 2 balls to put an end to it. OZ get 75 more than they should. pressure right back 'pon wi!!!

[Peter R]

Do you think we should have gone with the same top three for THIS match? I am thinking we should have dropped them for THIS match as I don't know how their confidence level will hold out in light of 328 versus 240 ish...

I hope I am wrong and that I eat my words.

[Me]

The problem with the top three is who do you replace them with? Brathwaite definitely not ready for Test cricket.

[Gamma]

sarwan, gayle and samuels?

they are faaaar too inexperienced to be coming one after other like that.

[Me]

Samuels is playing IPL and has not been in form for the WI either.
Gayle is in the IPL.
Sarwan I would welcome, but has he passed his "fitness" test? and is he out of his mental issues that Gayle say Otis cause him to get.

I would like to see Nash in the team at number 5, Shiv move up to 4 and Bravo move up to 3.

[Gamma]

nash may be a good call but i don't know how he is doing in county cricketl. sarwan scored a century last week for his county club ... samuels ... i agree he is short of form.

[Me]

I also think that we may as well carry ANY young wicket keeper in the region instead of Carlton Baugh. They can all do just as bad.

[Peter R]

Sarwan is fit enough it seems to make a century in England Friday gone , playing for Leicestershire... the guy is a professional cricketer and can't sit around while Windies twiddle their thumbs. His test average is 40; barring Chanderpaul and maybe young Bravo no other current player is in that region... even Gayle's test average isn't 40.

[Peter R]

Ramdin is the logical call up. And Rampaul looks like he could be the designated all-rounder...where does that leave Sammy? he unbalances the team.

[Me]

If he unbalance the team, then what you call Fidel Edwards? Lower Bowling and Batting average.

[Peter R]

Fidel is not an all-rounder and he is a first strike bowler... his role is clear. Sammy is a change bowler and supposedly a also a batter but his avergae in tests is pi$$ poor and his bowling while better than some NOT THAT better...

Now don't get me wrong, I believe that Sammy knows how to bat, but he cannot reign in his natural instincts to be a striker of the ball and sometimes in Tests you need to batten down, show restraint and patience (like Chanders), and he just can't seem to do it. I thought that the "burden" of captaincy would guide him in that direction... so far it isn't happening.

[Me]

Fidel is a stike bowler which part? He is a poor bowler who is wild, doesn't take many wickets is expensive and can't bat. Sammy warrants his place as a first change bowler ahead of the other available alternatives based on his performance in first class and test cricket. Andrew Richardson deserves a shot based on his first class performance this season. I would like to see some other young bowler step up and replace Sammy and Edwards. Ravi is a better batsman than Sammy.

Sammy is a twenty twenty batsman and has always been. People throw this all rounder tag on him from day one, but his batting has always been short of that standard.

[Me]

Sarwan's average is 40 because of his performance years ago. He has been in a serious slump until his 100 the other day. Even his regional performance wasn't that great.

I hope the 100 is the start of his return to form and we will see him back in the squad. They can move up Edwards to open and get rid of Brathwaite. He is not ready for test cricket or the swinging ball when we tour England.