By Tony Becca, Senior Sport Editor
Gayle
WEST INDIES Cricket Board president Reverend Wes Hals is a happy man and, as far as he is concerned, all those who love West Indies cricket, all those to whom West Indies cricket is dear, should also be happy.
Hall is happy because he sees a bright, all-conquering future for West Indies cricket.
"Let me tell you something, we may not be doing well now, but that victory in Antigua has made me feel good," said the president on Monday morning. "And you know why it made me feel so good ... because of the spirit the young players showed me in winning that Test match ... because of the number of youngsters, good youngsters, that are now around.
"The future of anything is young people, and you tell me which country in the world have the quality youngsters that we now have," said Hall as he reeled off the names of Ramnaresh Sarwan, Christopher Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Lawson, Daren Ganga, Devon Smith, Carlton Baugh Jnr., Omari Banks, David Bernard Jnr., Daren Powell and Tino Best.
"And you know there are a lot more on the way - young players like (Brenton) Parchment, (Dwayne) Bravo, (Donovan) Pagon, (Kurt) Wilkinson (Sew) Deonarine, (Dave) Mohammed and (Jerome) Taylor.
Sarwan
"I tell you this, in another year or so, the competition for places on the team especially the batting - will bring the best out of them. Man, we are rich - oh God. In time, every one will see what I am talking about - and no one will beat us."
According to the former West Indies fast bowler who toured England in 1957 as 19-year-old, all the West Indies needs to do is to encourage the young players, to have faith in them and not to throw them away.
"You remember Gary Sobers, you remember (Sonny) Ramadhin and (Alf Valentine, you remember Lance Gibbs, you remember Malcolm Marshall, you remember (Brian) Lara, you remember Shivnarine Chanderpaul?
"You remember how young they were when they played, you remember how long it was before they really started to perform? Well these youngsters just need some time. I am not saying that they are Sobers and Laras, or that we now have a Ramadhin or a Gibbs. I am saying, just give them a chance, give them some time to develop - to get some experience."
In batting for the young players, Hall reminded that he, one of the greatest of all West Indies fast bowlers, was selected for the West Indies before he represented Barbados; that after touring England without playing a Test he was not one of the six fast bowlers who played against Pakistan the following series, that he was not selected for the tour of India that followed, and that he only got in, along with opening batsman J.K. Holt, when Frank Worrell pulled out.
"I am saying this for three reasons: to answer those who believe that there are too many young players in the team, to let the young players know that regardless of how good they are, how good they believe they are, they have got to be patient, and that one who has been through it is behind them 100 per cent."
