News Around The Traps

Sri Lanka have announced the agreed tour itinerary when the host Pakistan in June and July. As well as the customary hit and giggle games, their will be three Test matches which will be keenly contested as most games between sub-continent nations are. Tests will be played in Galle, Colombo and Pallekele (see Fixtures for details) between a home side whose decline has been slowed recently with Mahela Jayawardene returning to the captaincy and visitors who have been the form side of the last eighteen months.

Dav Whatmore - who's talking?

News from Pakistan is intriguing ... but then it almost always is. Chairman of selectors, Iqbal Qasim, has spoken to the media to assure them of no ill will existing between new coach Dav Whatmore and the selection panel. Such statements are usually an assurance that the opposite is true: just ask Geoff Lawson. Whatmore has been moving across Pakistan to look at player who might potentially play for Pakistan in the next twelve months and his discussions have included sessions in the nets with 37 year old Mohammad Yousef, formerly the master batsman of the side from the late 1990's until injured against England in 2010. It was Yousef who captained Pakistan on their controversial tour of Australia in 09/10 before Salman Butt got his greasy palms on the reigns for the England tour which followed. The Australian tour was a disaster but the only accusations which could be thrown at Yousef were his captaincy ineptitude and his failure to stay close to the youngsters in the team. He reputedly walked once he knew the extent of the match fixing and saw no reason to come back given what he had already achieved in the game.

The other note worthy former player Whatmore has worked with is Kamran Akmal, the former keeper who many believe is stained with the same dirty palms as Butt and the two youngsters he duped. The theory goes that Kamran was one of many who walked down the same dark road. How Pakistan could select him again is a mystery, especially as his replacement, brother Adnan, has done a splendid job. The breakdown in communication at the centre of the "lack of ill will" between Iqbal and Whamore may well be over Kamran Akmal. Pakistan have cleaned a lot of the cupboards in their administration of the game and have adopted a selection policy of promoting youngsters and keeping them clean. It has been the cornerstone of captain Misbah-ul-haq's approach, which has relied on on-field tactics of preserving wickets and playing Pakistan's strengths. The results can't be argued with. Given Younis Khan's statements in regard match and spot fixing, its hard to imagine him staying if Kamran Akmal returns nor Misbah, for that matter. Like Darren Sammy, Misbah is the lynch pin in the side.s progress forward.

The unresolved question is whether Whatmore or Iqbal consider Kamran Akmal worthy of a return.

Pakistan is an odd place though. Arch enemies one day can be fierce friends the next in a country which operates by expediency. In cricket, at least, that looked to be changing.

Perhaps not.

Is that good enough Skipper?

Michael Clarke was reported to have said in the wash up to the series win in the West Indies, that if Brad Haddin returns to the Test team, Matthew Wade would come under consideration as a batsman. Not quite. He never made such a statement as reported by Daniel Brettig (Cricinfo). In response to questions about Haddin returning, he declined to suggest that Haddin would be an automatic return to the Test side against South Africa in November. Instead, he emphasised that if Haddin had been available for selection for the first Test of the West Indies tour, he would have been selected. He further added that Wade had done everything asked of him on the tour and that he "plays spin as good as anyone". He pointed to Wade's batting record for Victoria and when asked if Wade would be considered for selection as a batsman alone, Clarke suggested if his form continued, there was no doubt he could be considered. He didn't, however, suggest that would be the scenario.

All of which is conjecture at best. Wade intervening appearances will all be in short form games and the current crop of selectors, Clarke especially, are likely to take much notice of these in consideration for the November show down. Even if Haddin was to peel of hundreds and take ten stumpings an innings in Shield games in the month before the First Test, Wade has just scored a Test century and is 24. It's Matthew Wade who will be keeping in England next year, not the man who is ten years older than him. To Haddin's great credit as a man, as a human being, he knew that when he returned from the West Indies to be with his family.

In choosing a touring side for England, the West Indies selectors have made several changes to the squad which recently was so competitive at home against Australia. Kraigg Brathwaite, Carlton Baugh and Davendra Bishoo are the major casulaties. Bishoo lost ground after being dropped following the First Test loss in Barbados and Shane Shillingford splendid form in the remaining Tests. Brathwaite and Baugh were given every chance but failed to score the runs that were needed. Brathwaite looks to be a player who will return but for Baugh, it could be his final appearance.

Dinesh Ramdin recalled

Dinesh Ramdin returns as wicketkeeper. He played his last Test almost two years ago against South Africa at Kensington and was dropped after indifferent form. Only twelve months earlier he hit a career best 166 at the same venue. He always looked a better player than his average of 22 and returns after hard work and lots of runs in domestic cricket. Marlon Samuels is back again, at 31 surely on his last chance. Samuels debuted back in 2000 and has played only 67 matches since and only one of them against England. Its a negative selection to turn back to a man who has promised much but delivered so little at Test level.
Its hard to believe, but some things are more important than cricket.

The two uncapped players in the squad are future oriented. Shannon Gabriel is a fast bowler from Trinidad and Tobago who has 63 wickets at 29 in first class cricket, including a timely 5-78 against Barbados at Port-O-Spain in the last first class match of the season. He has a handful of appearances for West Indies A and was one of the first intake of the new Sagicor High Performance Centre launched in 2010. Assad Fudadin is a left handed middle order batsman and handy medium pacer who has taken his time to rise to the senior team after playing in the West Indies U15 side in 2000 and then run scoring appearances for the U19 team in the 2004 World Cup. His domestic form has been excellent this season with two centuries and consistent run making.

Adrian Barath has been retained, despite having poorer returns than Brathwaite and his new opening partner will be Keiran Powell as Kirk Edwards returns at No 3 and is elevated to the role of Darren Sammy's deputy.