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In a twist of events, the Barbados cricket selectors have decided to wait until their West Indies counterparts announce the 15-member World Cup squad before selecting their own squad of 16 players for next year's regional first-class championship.

Calvin Hope, a senior member of the Barbados selection panel, made the announcement at a Press conference at Kensington Oval yesterday afternoon, which ironically had been convened to announce the Barbados team and also present prizes for the recently concluded Arawak Cement Cup.

Hope, the lone selector present, as chairman Richard "Prof" Edwards and Clinton St Hill were absent, confirmed wicket-keeper Courtney Browne as Barbados captain with Ryan Hinds as his deputy.

"Unfortunately, we cannot announce the Barbados squad today because we received an e-mail from the West Indies Cricket Board informing us that the West Indies selectors are meeting between the 27th and 28th of December to select the West Indies team for the World Cup," Hope told reporters.

"As you can appreciate, that could have some implications and impact on the availability of players to represent Barbados for the regional tournament early next year, as those players who will be participating in the World Cup would not be available, at least in the early matches for the regional tournament," Hope said.

"We believe that the selection process of the West Indies team, depending on who from Barbados may be in that squad, could impact in various ways (like) the balance of the team.

"One might say we could choose 16 people and then have reserves but you are probably going to trap yourself there into a particular situation, so it is better to start when you know all the facts," he added.

"The Barbados selectors have decided that we will wait until the announcement of the West Indies squad to the World Cup, then we will select the Barbados team and make the announcement.

"So we apologise for not being able to stick to our original plan of announcing today but that was something beyond our control. We expected the West Indies team to be announced by now," Hope declared.

He said Tony Howard had been re-appointed as manager, with Hendy Springer again the coach.

© Barbados Nation