West Indies have answered the SOS call from English cricket and will fly out to the UK next week despite three players opting out of the trip because of concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic.
Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul all featured in the 2-1 victory against England at home last year and were invited to join the three-Test tour that is being staged behind closed doors from 8 July by the selector Roger Harper.
Their names were absent from the 25-member touring party announced on Wednesday – a Test squad of 14, plus 11 reserve players who will act as net bowlers and warm-up opposition – with a statement from Cricket West Indies saying the board “fully respects their decision”.
Johnny Grave, the chief executive, had stressed recently that the death toll from coronavirus in the UK – now officially past 50,000 – needed to be viewed from a Caribbean perspective, a sentiment echoed by Joe Root, the England Test captain, who said this week that “it must be extremely scary”.
Accordingly, all three players have been told there will be no recriminations as regards future selection. With West Indies cricketers starting a 50% pay cut from July – but the tour offering full match fees worth around £15,000 in total for those among the official 14 – it is clear their decisions were not taken lightly.
What is the matter three of you guys got cold feet, I suppose the carrots was not big enough and using Covid-19 as an excuse is it? Three of you guys is a disgrace to your country, cowards and should never be trusted to play for the West indies team again!!
I more believe is because they were fearfulf of the pace of Archer and Wood Bravo and Hetmyer did not tour than for fear of corona virus. Also the two might just have decided to retaliate for being dropped in recent times. It’s either for one or both reasons and has nothing to do with corona
We can do without Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul. Keemo Paul doesn’t command a pick with the likes of Roach, Gabriel, Joseph and Captain Holder. Though we have some good batters on the team I wish Powell and Nicholas Pooran were on the team to teach Hetmyer and Bravo that we can move on without them, not just for the England tour but for good. The two are just retaliating for being dropped in recent times
I don’t believe those guys didn’t tour because of fear of covid-19 because they are professionals and professionals don’t run away. Nurses, doctors, those in the Frontline never quitted when covid-19 was at its peak. So I will not buy the story that the three guys, especially Daren Bravo and Hetmyer refused to tour because of covid-19, especially when the ECB has vowed to do everything necessary’to keep them safe and protected. I believe the two and maybe all three refused to tour as a hit you back attitude, since in recent times they were both dropped for poor form and lack of fitness, when they thought their pick was sure. But that’s ok too because they are big men and though I feel we will miss them, I pray that the likes of Blackwood, Brooks and Bonner grab the opportunity with both hands, by scoring a lot of runs, along with our established batsmen, so that they could force Hetmyer and Bravo to work really hard to get back on the team
I respect their decision to not tour and no doubt we will miss them, especially Bravo and Hetmyer but I don’t support them. Corona virus is all over the world and so too is death. Driving a car is fun but it could also take our life so too is flying a plane. Life on a whole is a gamble and therefore in as much as England will do everything necessary’to keep them safe, I endorse the tour and wish our team well and good success.
Well I guess theses guys are placing their safety and that of their family and friends before everything else. The UK now has the highest number of deaths in Europe, not to mention thousands of new cases everyday. And it’s not just even being in the UK they need to worry about. What about the travelling, going through the airports, interacting with people who may not even know they have it. I firmly respect their decision and as far as I’m concerned the team should not have been asked to put themselves, families and countries at risk by travelling to a hotspot in these times.
Well, you say you are a former cricketer and you do not agree with the three young men’s decision to forego the tour.
My humble advice to you is to undergo some intense training and apply to fill one of the three open roster spots.
By the way, you are free to decline my recommendation as it is your absolutely soverign right to do so, just like Bravo, Hetmeyer and Paul.
Former Cricketer yeah what you saying is your opinion but the policy of their respective countries on travel has to be taken into account,.for example my government in Trinidad and Tobago policy is no inward and or outward travel unless it is an emergency or absolutely necessary.- so apart from the players taking a personal decision no one else can take for them in terms of their health and safety we still need to be clear as to what their respective countries policies ref: covid19 are on travel, bearing in mind most boarders are still closed.
TO former cricket,A fool at any age is a fool for life.