Dawn Pakistan's most widely circulated English language newspaper.

Wallace is unwanted in Windies side

By Our Special Representative

20 November 1997


PESHAWAR, Nov 19: Nepotism and personal likings and disliking are universally known to be the key factors when it comes to selection of either a touring party or playing eleven.

History of Test cricket is full of such examples. Every set of selectors or cricket administrators have their blue-eyed boys and West Indies is no exception to this practice. In the present squad of 15 players, opener Philo Wallace finds himself as the loneliest and most unwanted member of the team.

Sources claim that Wallace is extremely lucky to be still here as the team management had told him in Lahore to pack his bags and go home. However, requests and pleas by Wallace changed the heart of the management and they allowed him to remain a part of the side. Wallace, sources continued, was neither injured nor his finger was broken as claimed by the West Indies authorities when they dropped him and included Sherwin Campbell in their squad of 14 for the quadrangular cup played earlier this month. His exclusion from the first Test side is, thus, believed be a chain of the events. Wallace was expected to make his debut at Peshawar after he stroked a brilliant 142 in the tourists only four-dayer before the Test series started. But West Indies persisted with their world's lowest ranked opening pair of Stuart Williams and Sherwin Campbell. Williams could score only 4 and 3 in the first Test.

Sources said Wallace's exclusion was because of the inter-island bickerings. Wallace, 27, is from Barbados while skipper Courtney Walsh is from Jamaica, vice-captain Brian Lara from Trinidad and Tobago manager Clive Lloyd is from Guyana. Malcolm Marshal is from Barbados but it is learnt that he doesn't have enough say in the team selection. In another pre-tour incident, the West Indies cricket board organised a refresher course for the Pakistan touring side to let them inform about Pakistan's law, culture and how the players were supposed to behave with the fans and media. Interestingly, all the senior members of the team missed the seminar. Those who skipped the programme included Courtney Walsh, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Phil Simmons, Curtly Ambrose, Ian Bishop and David Williams.


Source: Dawn
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Date-stamped : 25 Feb1998 - 18:59