| Even though West Indian spin bowlers perennially | | | | Mohammed (left-arm spinner) took 13 wickets from 5 |
| dominate the regional First-class competition, spin | | | | matches. Yet, the spin bowlers aren't "good" enough |
| bowlers on the West Indies team are very scarce. | | | | for Test cricket. Statistics show that they aren't |
| Not since Lance Gibbs has the regional team had a | | | | given a decent run and have equivalent or better |
| specialist spinner take over 100 Test wickets. Indeed, | | | | wicket-per-match ratios than the faster bowlers. |
| the selectors have tried a few spinners since 1980. | | | | Even though spinners dominate the regional |
| However, they were never given a decent run in | | | | competition, more of them aren't picked because |
| international cricket. | | | | "the batsmen in regional competition are of a low |
| Even though it is known that spinners take a longer | | | | standard."The West Indies is a low-grade international |
| time to develop than medium pacers and fast | | | | cricket team at the moment. You can't reap |
| bowlers, West Indian spinners are tried for one or | | | | mangoes from an apple tree. Cricket commentator, |
| two Test matches and discarded. Rajendra | | | | Fazeer Mohammed, even suggested that for a |
| Dhanraj-the former West Indian leg-spinner-played | | | | spinner to get playing time (not just squad selection) |
| each of his four test matches in a different country | | | | on a W.I. team, he has to teach the batsmen proper |
| and in a different series! Spin bowlers are really lepers | | | | technique, make sure he plays properly, and then |
| in the West Indian cricket colony. There are two | | | | take his wicket on the field of play. |
| fundamental reasons for this. | | | | Other reasons include inadequate development for |
| Selective dwelling in the past | | | | spin bowlers, poor captaincy and an anti-spin bias by |
| Names like Sonny Ramadhin, Alf Valentine and Lance | | | | the West Indies' coaching staff and selector. A |
| Gibbs are part of the Caribbean's spin legacy. | | | | former assistant West Indian coach once suggested |
| However, the dominant Caribbean team of the 80s | | | | that Chris Gayle (an occasional slow bowler) was the |
| and early 90s had a battery of fast bowlers that | | | | best spin bowler in the Caribbean. Also, the Caribbean |
| intimidated batsmen from Australia to England. The | | | | team has shown a preference for using batsmen |
| West Indies, though saddled with a plethora of | | | | who roll their arm over instead of specialist spin |
| below-average fast bowlers continue to search for | | | | bowlers. |
| the devastating fast-bowling quartet of the 80s. The | | | | The treatment of spin bowlers and spin bowling in |
| unprecedented success with a quartet of fast | | | | the Caribbean shows how backward West Indies |
| bowlers, seduced the cricket hierarchy into thinking | | | | cricket authorities are. They ignore the reality that |
| that spin bowlers are not part of a winning formula. | | | | the current crop of fast bowlers is not quality |
| Different strokes for different folks. | | | | bowlers either. A dirt-poor fast bowler has a better |
| Young fast bowlers are given numerous chances to | | | | chance of playing on the West Indies team than an |
| prove themselves on the international stage. Daren | | | | average spin-bowler. This inherent bias-a |
| Powell, a fast-medium bowler, has only 78 wickets | | | | manifestation of general West Indian myopia-will |
| from 31 matches to date. His underachievement is | | | | keep the Caribbean side firmly entrenched at the |
| not mentioned often. Dinanath Ramnarine | | | | base of the cricket hierarchy for some time to come. |
| (leg-spinner) took 45 wickets from 12 matches. Dave | | | | |