Veteran cricket commentator Dr Joseph Reds Perreira has expressed surprise at several decisions made during the recent selection of the West Indies men’s squad for their upcoming two-Test series against India, beginning in late September. While he voiced no objection to the return of Alick Athanaze to bolster the top of the batting order, other inclusions raised questions for the veteran analyst, who has covered West Indies cricket for over 50 years.
Perreira questioned the selection of Tagenarine Chanderpaul. Chanderpaul last featured in a Test match for the West Indies in January 2024 during their tour of Australia — a series that proved challenging for the specialist batsman, who made just 31 runs in four innings.
Chanderpaul’s return for the India tour is seen as an opportunity to reset the top order. However, Perreira questioned whether the 29-year-old has played enough cricket recently to justify his selection.
“I’m quite surprised that his name came up in this selection because Chanderpaul lost his place in the West Indies Test side. He didn’t have a great four-day tournament last year, and I don’t have any evidence, although I could be wrong, that he has been playing any cricket anywhere, certainly not in Guyana. I know he plays spin well, and maybe they’re hoping that he might be able to handle the Indian spinners, but he’s got to also respect the Indian pace attack,” Perreira noted.
The legendary Guyana-born commentator also questioned the decision to pick Trinidad and Tobago’s Khary Pierre over senior spinner Gudakesh Motie, citing Pierre’s lack of experience in subcontinental conditions.
“The Khary Pierre selection is a little puzzling. He had a very good first-class season last year. He’s played well in the CPL. He’s a good cricketer. But to rest Motie on the tour of India, where you need people who’ve had experience in the subcontinent,” mused Perreira.Â
“In fairness to Khary Pierre, he has not played a Test match, and he has no experience of bowling in the subcontinent. I was a little surprised at that.”
The omission of veteran all-rounder Jason Holder was another point of concern. Holder, who last played Test cricket for the West Indies in 2024, has recently signaled his intention to return to the setup. Perreira felt the tour would have been an ideal opportunity to reinstate him, especially given the inclusion of Justin Greaves, who was ruled out of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) due to injury.
“In terms of the balance of the side, I think the surprise was that Greaves was included. Graves has been out of the CPL because of injury, and one would have thought that this was an opportunity to reinstate Jason Holder as the genuine all-rounder with his experience all over the world. The stats certainly point out [Holder] as a batsman, as a bowler, as an excellent man with his hands taking catches,” he said.
Perreira raised concerns about the fitness of Shamar Joseph, who appeared to injure his shoulder while fielding for the Guyana Amazon Warriors during the CPL.
“[Joseph] injured his shoulder while taking a superb catch at the deep mid-on position, but jarring his right shoulder. There’s a report that he was feeling a little bit of discomfort the following morning when the blood, of course, cools down. And he’s doubtful for the CPL final.”Â
Perriera went on to say, “One would think that in naming him, some check would have been carried out with the head coach who is in Georgetown or with the player himself to find out, or his manager. But he is named. I hope that he is fit enough to go on the tour because himself, Seales, and Alzarri Joseph would make a pretty good opening attack if the conditions suit fast bowling in India. India’s got fast bowling, so I think you’ll probably have pitches with a fair balance helping the fast bowlers and helping the spinners.”
Another major concern for Perreira was the limited preparation time allotted to the squad before the first Test, especially given the overlap with CPL commitments.
“I’m not too sure that we are helping ourselves by only having five days of preparation in India. We leave on the 23rd of September, and the first Test starts in India on the 2nd of October. Five days to me is not good enough for preparation for a Test tour in India, a Test tour anywhere.”Â
“And I think that somehow or the other, although these dates were well established, we were going to India; somehow or the other, the CPL dates seem to not tie in with what the West Indies had accepted from the Indian board in terms of when the tour would start. CPL seems to have gone on a little too long in terms of what was agreed with the Indian board.”
Perreira’s reflections underscore the tension between strategic planning and execution in West Indies cricket. As the team prepares to face India in challenging conditions, questions around readiness, selection rationale, and player fitness remain central to the conversation.
