Not WI: New Zealand reveals it would never have abandoned Narine

New Zealand cricket team coach Mike Hesson has revealed his team’s alternative viewpoint on cricketers arriving late from the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the “Kiwis” start their Test series against the West Indies today.

The West Indies is without star spinner Sunil Narine after the Trinidadian was excluded by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for playing in the IPL final on June 1 rather than showing up at the West Indies camp in Barbados on the same day.

Photo: West Indies spinner Sunil Narine prepares to bowl against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton on December 21, 2013. (Copyright AFP 2014 / Michael Bradley)
Photo: West Indies spinner Sunil Narine prepares to bowl against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton on December 21, 2013. (Copyright AFP 2014 / Michael Bradley)

“Narine had indicated by the May 24 deadline that he will join the squad on June 1 as required,” stated a WICB release, on May 28. “Narine subsequently advised the WICB on May 28 that he would not be able to meet the June 1 requirement.

“Narine’s decision not to join the camp by June 1 will result in him not being considered for selection to the West Indies squad for the Tests Series v New Zealand (June 8 to 30).”

But the New Zealand cricket board, whose own captain Brendon McCullum was a late returnee from the IPL, expressed a different view about making concessions for the India-based players.

“Having players join the group at different times is something we’ve become accustomed to with the different formats of the game these days,” Hesson told the New Zealand cricket website. “For those coming from the IPL, it’s not like they’ve been on holiday. They’ve been immersed in cricket for a long time so the transition won’t be as difficult.”

In New Zealand’s first warm-up game in Jamaica, the Kiwis used an unknown Jamaican player, Myron Wilson, to complete their XI, due to the late arrival of several star players from the IPL. There is no evidence that this created an uproar in New Zealand.

A high-level New Zealand cricket representative, who spoke anonymously to Wired868, insisted that the Kiwis would never treat its captain like the West Indies did Narine.

Photo: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum. (Courtesy Telegraph.co.uk)
Photo: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum.
(Courtesy Telegraph.co.uk)

“Had McCullum played in the lPL final with his franchise Chennai Super Kings,” said the New Zealand source, “he’d have been fine to arrive with New Zealand as soon as possible afterwards.”

Worse, the WICB seems to have a contradictory approach to the IPL.

WICB director of cricket Richard Pybus, in his 19 point plan to revamp Caribbean cricket, points to the establishment of a window for IPL players in point 14; but, in point 7, says priority must be given to West Indies selection.

How could an IPL window not include the final of that competition?


This, arguably, contradictory stance has denied West Indies the services of its best bowler who took 18 of his 21 Test wickets against New Zealand at an average of 24.33.

Narine will also be denied the honor of playing a Test match in front of his home crowd at Queen’s Park Oval.

The spin options will instead be Shane Shillingford, who will be exposed to international cricket for the first time since he was reported for a suspect action and Bajan left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn. Both are quality spinners, but neither are more deserving a test place than Sunil Narine on current form.

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About Colin Benjamin

Colin Benjamin is a former media officer with Cricket West Indies and the T&T professional football league club W Connection FC.

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58 comments

  1. @Kenneth….sad but true, who cares tight? The Board has successfully anesthetized and alienated its own fan base, so much so that nobody really gives a shit anymore. I wager the only reason anyone turns up to watch is for de lime…TTFA following to suit as well.

  2. My simple one cents is this, Narine is our most in form bowler at the moment and though playing in a different format, is far more match ready than any of our attack. Not to mention he is the best bowler we have in our ranks. So would any team not want to play their best option unless there was some super serious consideration to do otherwise? The Board still tripping over itself so why bother, very few of us would even spend time watching the match anyway.

  3. The Board has been so inconsistent in past, not to mention their lost battles with WIPA, that nobody trusts them. So, they feel the only way to re-gain that trust is to act in strict accordance with the rules and procedures (for which they’ve been caught in slips many times)….they want to apply these regs almost to a fault. Rationality, Opinions from the International community, Commentators and the region have all weighed in and determined that some special consideration was in order. Especially since the unusual delay in the start of the IPL brought about this ‘slight misalignment’ in the dates. These were the same uncompromising positions that brought about the adversarial nature of the WIPA v WICB days under Ramnarine, Adams and Carl Hooper. Its quite bewildering that the selectors, who seem almost like a sovereign entity, have not made any proclamations on the matter (have I missed something?)…. but we hear from WICB CEO and others who routinely claim that the selection panel has their own criterion and exercise their duties independent of Board influence.

  4. Rawle why are they being ignorant is the issue. Sunil was first of all dropped for Flingford who as per the umpires chucks. Then he was called on stand by in case the chucker got banned and now we have this bag of nonsense. So why are they acting the way they have.

    How many wickets has Flingford taken in this regional tournament post his remedial action to warrant selection on a WI team?

  5. which is what the black caps r good at. they can bat like this into day 3 to make sure they don’t lose then take watever they get from there. unlike us who go for a win from ball one and end up losing more often than not

  6. some body felt sorry for benn its being since 2010 he ent get a test for batsman to beat him all over the field, so he getting his chance now, which i hope will be his last

  7. playing a practice match and having fun

  8. What did Narine miss from the camp?

  9. Change all of dem…they lack common sense …..u. refuse to take a world class bowler like sunil ……shame on u all……d man play all d games for kkr….end up.in the final ….he must leave. …hell no…..u fools. ..man rock so…u hear

  10. When other players do that its does be all fine n well

  11. I hope we get 5 or 6 wickets by the close

  12. If they bat like this we are going to draw

  13. NZ wants to field the best team. They want to win and will do what it takes to pick the best cricketers. The WICB has been lost in its parochial insularity for over 25 years and caught up in outdated rules and inflexible regulations, while providing little succession planning, training or support for cricket or cricketers. It appears that they would prefer to lose with their rules intact, rather than take a more pragmatic approach to the game

  14. watching this game~~ it really amazes me …..the level of concentration from the Kiwi’s in this game~~~~ this is a mental battle we seeing here yes~~!! very disappointed that WI have never shown such mental strenght beside shiv~~ ………….

  15. only the WICB of CONTROLL seeks to control the wrong things

  16. Prince Borde u have to remember its the WI .. so every board have to be appeased!! or most of them!! el la **barbados and the dots** so Narine retiring eh gonna make a difference!! ..

  17. Narine please retire from WI cricket please please please

  18. WICB is just backward. These members shouldn’t have the right in such decisions. WI cricket really going in the wrong direction.

  19. interesting read that makes so much sense … the fact that WI players are scattered across the IPL, it was almost certain that one or two of them would’ve been playing in the final. WHY must a man who worked hard missed the final to just go into camp? they were being inconsiderate and obviously ignorant!

  20. Because a white foreigner has proffered this rule, the WICB feels obligated not to offend him and carry it out. Massa Day wud never done in the Caribbean!

  21. they say they are going with the rules…. but i think it’s only because he is Trinidadian.

  22. no wonder we not moving up the rankings

  23. Narine! They only play him in condition not suitable for spin bowling in Tests. Played him in England and NZ. So his test numbers are bad! We have the best spinner in the world and he’s treated like crap. Bet you if he’s Australian he’s their number one test bowler by now.

  24. WINDIES selectors are a waste of time

  25. If it wasnt for the ipl, players like narine, badree and pollard would have been ignored by the wicb ..

  26. Folks, we talking about 2 days missed!! and they could have had both Shillingford and Narine, Don’t complicate things. Its simple.

  27. India & IPL does more harm to world cricket than good. FIFA has a lot of issues corruption wise – but its a far more effective governing body than the ICC.

    IPL is the means in which India uses its financial power to manipulate world cricket – they have even confirmed recently that if they didn’t get more money, they would walked away from international cricket – http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/750861.html

    Only Australia & England could stand up to India – but they decided join with them. Windies just like NZ are two of the weakest financial boards in world cricket & are in no position to stop their players playing in the IPL – given the realities of world cricket.

    Chris Gayle got stupidly banned for almost 2 years by the WICB because of their failure to understand this & now Narine axing follows a similar poor logic.

  28. If Sunil plays there is no room for Flingford. Plain and simple. Share it around so other people get to eat ah food. Rules to suit the agenda of the moment.

  29. Before I proceed, Q. Is “The West Indies” a term describing an autonomous legal fiction with status and rights in respect of the organization and management of the playing of the international game of cricket in former colonies of Great Britain in the Caribbean area.?

  30. What effect will this issue have on the attendance at these matches?

  31. Mc Cullen was also in ipl but he is playing. Chennai played up to the Friday before the finals

  32. The WI board knew when the dates of the IPL final and the WI v NY 1st Test this year for ages. Why the hell couldn’t they just have anticipated that one or two of our 13 players in the IPL and candidates for the Test team could have ended up in the IPL final. And made some compensation for this????? Maybe treat these guys like adults……. and, just maybe, they will start to gain the respect of the players and WI cricket lovers (although it would take a lot more). Am I missing the point here? NO!

  33. I know NOTHING about PG-Cricket, but I am not that stupid.

  34. The other teams are professional & serious we are just a joke.

  35. It took FIFA a while to work out a schedule that aligns with top leagues. But, when it did, it weighed heavily in favour of the clubs.
    I’m sure the same will happen with cricket.

  36. Michael Holding raised this issue some years ago. He pointed out that the IPL season never coincides with the Indian international season and said the ICC must look into the matter. FIFA guidelines on conflict between club and international season may be a guide. But what also has to be considered is the terms and conditions (more so remuneration) of international players on the WI test team as opposed to the money they make in the IPL.

  37. It seems to be like punishment for players who do too well and get to IPL final.
    For instance, World Cup teams are sometimes already in camp when the Champions League final takes place. No one has ever been stupid enough to tell Zidane or Messi to skip the final and report to training.

  38. WICB just shooting themselves in the foot!

  39. u have to find a way to play flingford and benn!!..

  40. i would like to see what the board will do or say if narine decide to not play for west indies

  41. another reason to exclude him, smdh, heard about all of this and just chose to bit my tongue, fed up with how they treat narine

  42. Didn’t Gayle return late and it was no probs once?

  43. this is so true, glad the NZ approach is different so that the WICB can see the crap they are doing

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