Although Xavier Marshall won’t be 19 until March 27, Jamaicans are already whispering his name in the same breath as Lawrence Rowe, a flattering and instructive comparison.The new West Indies head coach, Australian Bennett King, became an instant fan when he first saw Marshall at the training camp prior to the VB Series in Australia in January and February and ensured that the right-handed opener would be in the final squad of 14. ‘‘He has time and is certainly an exciting player at the crease’’, was King’s assessment. ‘‘I like the fact that he tries to score off every ball he faces.’’More than anything else, King was taken by what he termed Marshall’s confident attitude for a 19-year-old and his ‘cricket maturity’. ‘‘He impresses just with what he does on the field as well’’, King said. ‘‘He’s a bit exceptional.’’I’m not saying he’s ready just yet to play for the West Indies but I certainly see the characteristics that you want to see in a cricketer, particularly in the one-day game. From a batting perspective, it is his ability to score off balls, not just boundary hitting.Marshall has filled out since he was the baby of the West Indies team that won the under-15 Costcutter Cup, the adolescents’ World Cup, in England in 2000, catching the eye more with his ground fielding than his batting. His 331 runs (average 47.28) made him the leading scorer in the Under-19 World Cup in Dhaka last January and he returned home to dominate the regional under-19 championships, leading Jamaica to the title with over 500 runs in the six matches.Moving up to the senior level, he amassed 303 runs (average 75.75) in the domestic one-day President’s Cup in October, with an unbeaten 125 against Guyana the highest score in the tournament. It was enough to earn him promotion to the senior ranks where he caught King’s eye.On the international scene, the International Cricket Council, which has allowed the cluttered international calendar to devalue Test cricket, needs to revisit its 10-year programme so that bilateral series are more evenly distributed. Or have England and the West Indies meet each other in eight Tests, home and away, in the space of six months as was the case in 2004.The status of its newest members, Zimbabwe, with its social and political problems that have affected the game there, and Bangladesh, should also be reviewed to ensure that the highest standards are maintained at the highest level.Both require a period of consolidation, with more ICC investment in development and series against A teams of the established Test countries to raise their strength and their confidence, rather than Test matches that are presently beyond their capacity.(As told to Chandresh Narayanan)
