West Indies Board backs selection snub

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has backed the selection committee’s decision not to offer central retainer or developmental contracts to former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, fast-bowler Jerome Taylor and batsman Narsingh Deonarine.

This comes after WICB expressed its concerns about the fitness level of its players as it was hindering their selection process for the national side.

According to chief selector Clyde Butts, the board’s actions were to send a warning to the players, whose fitness levels were “deemed unsatisfactory”.

“The management, selection committee and the WICB are concerned about Sarwan’s extremely indifferent attitude and sporadic approach towards fitness,” read a statement released by the board.  Injuries have kept Sarwan out of action in Test matches and he has appeared in only four One-Day Internationals and seven Twenty20s this year.

“The WICB is disappointed with Taylor’s lack of commitment to his own rehabilitation following injuries sustained in Australia in 2009 and in the 2010 World Twenty20,” continued the statement. “Taylor has not shown the expected attendance and commitment to pursue the required assessment and consequent rehabilitative programmes that would be required.”

The statement also mentioned Deonarine, and claims his attitude towards fitness and training has continued to be unsatisfactory “despite the official notice”.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2010.