The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster has lashed out at the Cricket West Indies Selection Panel for once again ignoring the performances of Guyana’s left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul.
The Berbician was not part of a list of 25 players (14 in squad and 11 reserves) chosen to represent West Indies in three Test matches against England, the first of which begins on July 8. The squad was announced on Wednesday.
Below is the full statement issued by Foster and the BCB.
Does performance matter any more in West Indies cricket or are our players being judged by other factors that we are unaware of?
Those were the thoughts of the Berbice Cricket Board president when we heard about the non-selection of Veersammy Permaul from a 14-man touring squad to tour England from the 8th of June.
It gets more puzzling when he cannot even make the squad of eleven reserves, despite being the leading bowler in the 2020 Regional Four-Day tournament with 50 wickets, including three five-wickets hauls in an innings and two ten-wicket haul in a match.
Some of the players who have made the team have not even come close to Permaul performance and yet continues to be ahead of him in the eyes of the selectors. What message is the West Indies Selectors sending to our players when they turn a blind eye to performances of the highest standard and rewarding those at rock bottom?
In the last six years, Permaul of the Albion CC has taken 290 wickets at the senior Four-Day level at an average of 16.90 and has 18 five-wicket hauls and seven ten-wicket haul in a match.
These performances are unmatched by anyone in the Caribbean and yet he last played Test cricket in 2015, ODI in 2017 and 20/20 in 2018.
The BCB would like to condemn in the strongest possible way the sickening treatment being handed out to this outstanding son of Berbice and would like for an explanation to been given on his non-selection.
Has a decision been taken that Permaul’s career is over at just 30 years old? is there another unknown factor for his non-selection? Is he indiscipline? Is he considered just a regional bowler or is he too old?
We deserve to know as the BCB is without doubt the hardest working cricket board in the Caribbean and we would not sit back and watch our cricketers being treated like second class when they deserve better.
Over the last decade, I have always found Permaul to be a very committed, focused, discipline and whole-hearted player. It is an undisputed fact that based on performances, Veersammy Permaul deserves to be on a senior regional team and this profound nonsense needs to stop with immediate effect.
Shame on the persons responsible for his non-selection and surely you must have some guilt in your conscience that you did the young man wrong.
My dear Berbicians, I would like to plead with you to pray for our young hero, that God would continue to bless him, to inspire him and to give him courage to continue.
Continue to break down the door with performances so that they would recognise that they have been wrong to you. Berbicians have been known for their inner courage and strength and we always rise to the top despite efforts to keep us down.
Please be assure of my personal support along with the entire management of the BCB and we would continue to do so until justice is given. To Mr. Vemen Walter and the Albion CC, please keep the faith and upkeep the good work you are doing to keep Berbice Cricket flying high.
Hilbert Foster, MS
BCB President
RHTYSC, MS, Secretary/CEO
