da jogodeouro： Richard Edwards is strongly hinting that the core of the Barbados teamfor the forthcoming Red Stripe Bowl will be mainly experienced playerswho have represented the country for most of the last decade
Haydn Gill20-Sep-2001Richard Edwards is strongly hinting that the core of the Barbados teamfor the forthcoming Red Stripe Bowl will be mainly experienced playerswho have represented the country for most of the last decade.A host of young, exciting talent has emerged in recent months, but thenew chairman of selectors said yesterday that a limited-overstournament was not the ideal place to allow such talent to develop.For this type of cricket, you are not really looking to blood players.You are looking to get a strong side and try to win the thing, Edwardssaid on the eve of the selection of Barbados’ 14-man squad.The four-day game is more conducive to bringing players forward andhope that they would develop.Edwards added, however, that he and his fellow selectors would notignore the claims of any inexperienced player.If you get a couple of youngsters impressing and pushing their wayinto it, obviously they would be considered. (But) you would have tolook at this as something you want to win. You are not looking toblood players.Many fans have said this is the time for experienced players likePhilo Wallace, Adrian Griffifth, Floyd Reifer, Courtney Browne, HendyBryan and Dave Marshall to be discarded to make way for uncappedyoungsters like Kurt Wilkinson, Sulieman Benn, Alcindo Holder, DwayneSmith, Martin Nurse and Jason Bennett.Nothing could be more demoralising for a country or individuals thanto just go and get beaten out of the Park, Edwards said.We are going to bring some youngsters in wherever we can and if youhave some youngsters who are bowling well or batting well, we aregoing to try and get them in.The selection panel will have a final look at the players at Weymouthtoday in a third successive trial match before meeting to pick thesquad for the October 2-15 competition.Edwards conceded there was not much that impressed him in the matchesat Queen’s Park on Tuesday and at Kensington Oval yesterday though hewas impressed by the fighting half-century from Ryan Hinds on Tuesday.He reckoned that the surface at the Oval yesterday was a littlelively.Only one batsman Jason Parris seemed to come to terms with it. It hada lot of turn and bounce for the spinners and fast bowlers.Edwards added that the selectors were hoping to have the Barbadossquad play two practice matches next week.