Paul-Andre Walker, Contributor

THE WEST Indies have named a 17-man training squad for the Australian tour of the Caribbean later this month.

As is always the case when a West Indies squad is picked, almost everybody in the Caribbean goes up in arms about who should play and who shouldn't.

In fact, if you were to go to each cricket fan in the different islands, you would get so many varying 17-man squads, your eyes would spin! While I'm not one to do what is popular, this time around I'm going to be joining the throng of naysayers.

The biggest surprise to many is the inclusion of Trinidad and Tobago's William Perkins. I am surprised the West Indies selectors have chosen an unknown quantity, especially after he had such an ordinary domestic season.

Funnily enough though, I have no problem with the selection. As a matter of fact, I have no inherent problems with any of the selections, save to say that one of them should have made way for the man who took the most wickets in the regional season.

Miller's reward?

Now please don't think I am saying that Jamaica's Nikita Miller is ready for Test and one-day international cricket, I'm not. What I am saying though, is where is the reward for playing well?

Miller, having taken more than 40 wickets, deserves to be rewarded for a good season.

Some may say he should not be prematurely pushed into the West Indies side.

To them I say, first of all; this isn't the West Indies' team, it's a training squad and, secondly, the West Indies selectors have made it a habit of trying any batsman who shows the ability to hold the bat straight in a season, why isn't the same courtesy given to bowlers?

Miller, I don't think was the best bowler, as until he took 10 wickets in Jamaica's final game, he was nowhere close to topping the wicket-takers' board and thus, Amit Jaggernauth deserves his place for being the top spinner for the most part.

Left-handed uniqueness

The difference between the two is the fact that Jaggernauth is an off-spinner, which doesn't normally cause undue alarm in international cricket, while Miller is a left-hander, a uniqueness that can be worked on.

Again, while Miller is young and has time to develop and a West Indies call is still on the horizon as long as he continues to do well, my question to the selectors is what kind of message do you intend to send?

Do you want a young man to become frustrated into disinterest? That could happen. If you play the best cricket in the Caribbean, you expect all the perks that come with it, and when it doesn't come you might be tempted to say, "maybe I should try something else".

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