CWI defends the inclusion of Cariah, Charles

Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief selector stoutly defended choices for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia as he was grilled about the surprise inclusion of the uncapped Yannic Cariah and who he deemed a potential wild card and the opener Johnson Charles who has not played for the regional side in six years.

Asked about the omission of several other players who have been performing well, Desmond Haynes said there were several “close calls” when the 15-man team was being chosen, and given the limited space there would be players who are “pretty close” to selection but lose out because of the combination of the side.

Insisting that the selectors had picked the “best team for the West Indies,” Haynes told journalists who pressed him on the rational for certain selection that people with potential had to be “given a chance.”

In the case of right-arm leg spinner /all rounder Cariah, who has played only four T20 taking just one wicket and was only selected by one of the franchises for the ongoing Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Haynes was adamant that he had proven himself otherwise.