ROBERT HAYNES Jamaica's senior cricket team coach, is calling on the regional selectors to include opening batsman Xavier Marshall in the squad for the West Indies' tour to Australia in January next year.
In an interview with the media, after the team's return from Guyana where they were knocked out of the regional one-day tournament preliminaries, Haynes said:
"If for instance you are looking at performances in this tournament, I don't see any reason why a Xavier (Marshall) could not go to Australia because when you look at the guys who were in England, Sylvester Joseph and all those guys who did not really perform in the tournament, he could be there.
"Xavier is somebody whom you can work with, just to even give him the exposure, the experience, because we are looking at him as a future player, and you need to expose him early, you need him to understand what international cricket is all about," added Haynes of the West Indies Youth player.
UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIPS
In August's West Indies Under-19 championships, Marshall scored 575 runs at an average of 71.88 (two centuries and two half centuries) in the three-dayers, and 271 runs, at an average of 54.20 (two centuries) in the one-dayers.
He ended the preliminary round of the on-going one-day tournament with the most runs 303 from five matches at an average of 75.75. This included one century (125 not out against Guyana), two half centuries (88 against Trinidad) and (64 against Leewards).
The teenage batting prodigy from York Castle obviously has a huge appetite for runs because in spite of those solid returns Marshall, when asked if he was satisfied, said:
"Not really, because I could have scored more runs. I think I got a bit carried away by going down the wicket to the off-spinners and got out."
Given his statistics, Haynes believes he should be groomed like Chanderpaul and Sarwan.
"I remember they invested in Sarwan, they invested in Chanderpaul, and probably Xavier is somebody you want to invest in also," pointed out Haynes, who went on to describe Marshall as 'very talented'.
Haynes added: "Xavier has an appetite to make a lot of runs and once you can give him the right environment and work with him, he will definitely be a Test player."
"We are playing so many one-day cricket and this is why it's important for him to get a feel, just to know what the international scene is all about because he left the youth level, and in the first time playing for Jamaica national team he stepped up."
A former West Indies one-day all-rounder, Haynes also pointed out that apart from being a very good fielder, Marshall listens.
"I think if you are looking at the future of West Indies cricket and you have these youngsters at age 19, there is no reason why you should not give them a chance to try and improve their game, and the way to make that happen is to have them in squads or to have them around international cricket."
- Anthony Foster
