Dear Messrs Lloyd, Simmons,
It is widely reported that a decision was taken by you and your selectors to omit Shiv Chanderpaul from the West Indies cricket team for the current Australian tour (2015). The main reason proffered, as reported, was that he has failed in the two Test series preceding the current one. believe I read in the media that you stated that he averaged about 16 in 11 innings this year.
I have decided to write you because in the interests of fairness and transparency I feel strongly that the selection panel ought to release immediately the compulsory criteria used to consider, assess and thereafter select players who are eligible for selection to the West Indies cricket team. I also request that you make available a list (not necessarily exhaustive) of the discretionary criteria that the selection panel may utilise in their assessment and consideration of eligible players.
I expect, of course, to see at the top of the list of compulsory criteria, that existing players must maintain a set average, in a maximum number of innings. Could you then let us know what average is required to be maintained by a player over what number of innings? It is obvious that this is singularly, the most important criteria being used by the current selection panel.
Another compulsory criterion that I expect to see is the age imposed by the selection panel at which cricketers are expected to retire in the Caribbean. This information must be provided as a matter of urgency so that our aspiring cricketers can plan their careers more comprehensively, barring lean form (in a maximum of 11 innings) and fortune.
After you have provided the information requested, I will call on you to submit the statistics of each player selected as a batsman in the team you have chosen to face Australia in order that they be examined to verify that you have followed the same criteria used to omit Shiv Chanderpaul.
Your failure to comply with my most humble request as a West Indian, to whom you and your panel are accountable, can lead to confirmation of a conclusion that Shiv Chanderpaul was a victim of discriminatory practices by you and your selection panel.
There are several readily available accusations that could be laid before your panel. These are: discrimination on the ground of age, discrimination in favour of a former player to preserve his record, discrimination on the grounds of nationality and/or race. The panel could also be accused of incompetence, lack of and/or exercising poor judgment and poor execution of its mandate.
I request your compulsory criteria, since up to the end of 2014 (last year) Shiv Chanderpaul was reported by ESPN's cricinfo.com to be the most prolific test player between January 2007 and December 2014. He has outperformed players like Kumar Sangakkara, Younis Khan, Hashim Amla, AB De Villers, Jacques Kallis, Misbah-ul-haq, Michael Clarke, Sachin Tendulkar, Mahela Jayawardene and VVS Laxman.
During that period he averaged almost 70! Further, and arguably, Shiv Chanderpaul despite his age is among the most fit players in the current West Indian team. Do the panel of selectors have available the past statistics of players when they meet to select players? I recommend that cricinfo.com be used since it seems to be singularly the most comprehensive and accessible resource of player statistics I have come across.
You have omitted a player from the team, which so far appears unjustified, especially from the standpoint that he is in the twilight of his career after giving unblemished service to West Indian cricket–the latter of course being inconsequential to justify selection. Meanwhile, Australia welcomed a 35-year-old debutant, who rewarded his selection with a century–I suppose they have no young players to blood at this time. Whilst form must be a criteria in selection, one would imagine that context will play a significant role–form in two test series weighed against form in 59 matches over a seven- year period must count for something. Mr Simmons can probably shed some light in this regard since it appears from his statistics that his Test career spanned some nine years, whilst maintaining a meager average of 22, with a solitary century and four half-centuries. I await the information requested with bated breath.
R Marks