Pedro Collins unavailable for Sri Lanka series

[Ninjaman]

Friday, 14 March 2008 Letter sent to WICB and copied to WIPA by Pedro Collins.

As you are aware, I have been selected in the 15 man squad to represent the West Indies cricket team for the 1st test match against the visiting Sri Lankan team in Guyana. I would like to thank you for considering me once again to represent the West Indies cricket team, something which I have always done with pride, honour and dignity.



Unfortunately, due to prior contractual commitments I have no alternative but to decline your kind invitation at this time.



I would like to take the opportunity to wish my colleagues best of luck for the upcoming series as I have every confidence they would make us all proud.



Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Good luck Pedro. Hopefully, the actions of yourself and Wavell will force the neccessary change needed at board level

[Aurelius]

Holy ****. The best bowler in the Carribean at the moment, and he walks away due to the sheer incompetence of the Windies selectors. I hope that he becomes available at some stage, but I doubt it. Even if his schedule's free, the spiteful b******s on the selection panel will no doubt refuse him. I'm disgusted. As you say, lets hope some good does come out of this, because of not, the West Indies will lose two good players for absolutely nothing, when they can ill afford it.

[Speedboy Salesman]

What are his "contractual obligations"? Is he playing for one of the IPL/ICL or something?

[batoutofhell]

i guess he signed some english county,not sure which one(surrey)

[Speedboy Salesman]

But the English county season hasn't started yet. Is the WI/SL series really far away or something?

[batoutofhell]

Collins signed for surrey as a Kolpak player(somebody needs to confirm this,as i read it from one of the thread here in world-a-team)

[jrwb]

Collins' absence shouldn't make any noticeable difference...

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by jrwb

Collins' absence shouldn't make any noticeable difference...

Probably not, but he was the best bowler in the west Indian, and it's a shame that he was mishandled so badly.

But honestly, I think the West Indies have a shot in the upcoming series. Sri Lanka isn't that much better than the Windies as a team, and in some areas they might be even weaker, particularly in opening and lower-order batting. If it comes together for them, then a series win is well within the realms of possibilty.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Aurelius

Sri Lanka isn't that much better than the Windies as a team

Really? In Jayawardene and Sangakkara they have two of the best batsmen of the modern era, in the other Jayawardene they have the most promising international gloveman since Jack Russell and in Muralitharan they have by far and away the best bowler in international cricket - that's a pretty impressive core to a side that's also got plenty of decent supporting players.

Playing Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka has long struck me as the second hardest tour in World Cricket (after the thankless task of trying to play cricket on Australian roads with a kookaburra). Sure, Sri Lanka touring Australia is a very different matter... not least because Murali's chances of getting the ball to bite in the 1st innings at the Gabba, MCG and WACA are just about non-existent... but on West Indian wickets, as on most other international wickets, Sri Lanka should provide formidable opposition.

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by Rachael

Really? In Jayawardene and Sangakkara they have two of the best batsmen of the modern era, in the other Jayawardene they have the most promising international gloveman since Jack Russell and in Muralitharan they have by far and away the best bowler in international cricket - that's a pretty impressive core to a side that's also got plenty of decent supporting players.

And it's the supporting players that make me think the Windies have a chance. Let's have a look at them- Vandort and Warnapura, who have seven Tests between them. Gayle himself has over 60. Dilshan and Silva at 5 and 6. But they aren't as good in those positions as Chanderpaul and Bravo. As you say, P. Jawawardene is the best young 'keeper in the world, but Ramdin is decent enough. The bowlers: without Malinga, Sri Lanka are almost assured of going in with I. Amerasinghe and Fernando, but I wouldn't say that they're better than Daren Powell and Jerome Taylor. For that matter, Vaas hasn't really shone in his last few games.

So all the supporting players, IMO, are a pretty even match with their West Indian counterparts. You rightly say that Sangakara and Jawaywardene are excellent batsmen, and that Murali's an excellent bowler. But if they can neutralise the batsmen with good bowling (a fairly big if, I know, but it worked with Ponting for India) then a lot of Sri Lanka's advantage will be gone. So basically: the difference between Sri Lanka and West Indies is the precense of a couple of outstanding players, and without them there's very little difference between the two side IMO, and that's why I think they have a chance.