As the team prepares for a campaign to be played in India, the decision to turn to a player whose career spans nearly 15 years has raised eyebrows and demands explanation.
According to the squad breakdown by Cricket West Indies, Charles is slated to be the second-choice wicketkeeper and a potential backup opener.
This has obviously not sat well with Mason, who believes one must put Johnson Charles “under the microscope” and examine the numbers that presumably informed the decision.
According to Mason, Miles Bascombe, Cricket West Indies’ data-driven director of cricket, would have, presumably, presented a detailed statistical profile to head coach Darren Sammy.
The veteran commentator did his number crunching, and the recent figures make for interesting, if not compelling, reading.
The stats show that in his last 10 T20 matches for the regional side, Charles has scored 210 runs with a highest score of 47, averaging 21.00 at a strike rate of 117.97.
The right-hander was part of the West Indies’ triumphant 2016 T20 World Cup-winning squad, where his contribution in that campaign was modest, with 117 runs across six matches coming at an average of 19.50 and a strike rate of 108.33.
His overall career statistics, spanning 67 matches since his 2011 debut, sit at an average of 22.91 with a more respectable career strike rate of 129.23.
According to Mason, this is where the selection logic faces its stiffest challenge.
“Over the past year, Cricket West Indies has invested significantly in the very talented Jewel Andrew, currently keeping wicket for the West Indies at the ongoing U19 World Cup. I have a question, Was that investment forgotten? I need to know,” Mason asked.
Charles’ selection will surely garner more interest as Caribbean fans wait with bated breath to see if the selection was a hit or miss.
