Tony Becca

THE WEST Indies 'A' team will be touring England in July and August and in terms of the development, the exposure of the young talent around the region, that is good for West Indies cricket.

Without attempting to question the selectors, however, there is, once again one question which must be asked: What does the West Indies 'A' team represent?

Does it represent the next best in West Indies cricket ­ the team from which replacements to the West Indies team will be selected. Or does it represent a team of young, promising players who, in preparation for West Indies cricket down the line, need the type of exposure that 'A' team tours provide or should provide?

The reason for that question is the presence of players ­ not only ones like Jerome Taylor, but also others like Runako Morton, Dave Mohammed, Daren Powell, Tino Best, Ryan Hinds, Devon Smith and Dwayne Smith ­ in the squad selected for England and the absence of ones like Carlton Baugh Jr.

STRANGE

Although nothing that the West Indies selectors do should surprise, it seems strange that Taylor, who is now representing the West Indies, is in the squad to England; that Morton, who is in the West Indies squad, is in the squad to England; that Mohammed who played in the first Test against India, is in the squad to England; that Hinds, Powell and Best, who have played many times for the West Indies, are in the squad for England; and, Baugh, who must be or should be the reserve wicketkeeper for the West Indies team, is not.

Without knowing what were the criteria used to select the squad, which includes three bright prospects in Lendl Simmons, Jason Mohammed and Patrick Browne but not even one of Narsingh Deonarine and Donovan Pagon, and without knowing if the selectors were influenced by reports that some players were not prepared to make the tour in order to represent their respective countries in an effort to try and cash in on the Stanford 20/20 bonanza, there is one other disturbing aspect of the 'A' team's tour to England.

LUCKY WOMAN

According to the release from the West Indies Board, the team will be managed by the West Indies manager, West Indian Tony Howard. The head coach for the team will be the West Indies team's assistant coach, Australian David Moore, and the strength and conditioning coordinator will be Australian Bryce Cavanagh - the strength and conditioning coordinator of the West Indies team.

Phyllis Burnett, the team's physiotherapist, must be a lucky woman.

The questions are these: Is it that the West Indies Board cannot find another West Indian to manage a team? Is it that the West Indies Board cannot find a West Indian to coach the team? Is it that the West Indies Board cannot find a West Indian to be the strength and conditioning coordinator?

There is, of course, one other question, and it is this: Is it that because they are already employed to the board it will cost the cash-strapped board less to employ them for this tour?

If the answer to the last question is yes, then one can understand, partially understand, why, regardless of how good he is as a manager, the board has had to go with Howard as the manager, and why it had to go with Moore and Cavanagh as the coach and the strength and conditioning coordinator.

If the answer to the last question, however, is no, then God help West Indies cricket in the future.

FOREIGNERS GUIDING

If West Indies cricket, after 78 years playing at the top, after producing some of the best teams in the world, after producing one of if not the greatest team in the history of the game, have to depend on foreigners not only to coach the Test team, not only to see that the players on that team are fit and strong, but also to coach the 'A' team and also to see that the players on the 'A' team are fit and strong, West Indies cricket will never ever be the best in the world again.

The next team that will have foreigners guiding it may well be the Youth team. After that it may well be the Under 15 team, and who's to tell, if there is enough money left to hire some more. Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, etc., etc, may well, in time, be coached and groomed by foreigners.

If there is to be any order, any growth, the West Indies 'A' team should be like a ladder to the West Indies team ­ for the players, the managers, the coaches, the strength and conditioning coordinator, and whoever else the board feels is important for the proper development of the young players.