Joseph feels mistreated

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC)

Sylvester Joseph believes the West Indies selectors have treated him unfairly.

Joseph, the Leeward Islands captain, believes he has not been given a fair run by the selectors, despite his performances year after year.

"When you go out there and perform every year and you are not given a good opportunity, it's not good," Joseph remarked.

Joseph said he feels he is only being 'used' to fill a gap in the team on occasions.

"When I come into the side, it is when someone is sick or they have contractual problems," Joseph said.

He noted he had played two Tests in Sri Lanka because most of the top players opted out, and his last Test in England earlier this month because of injury to Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Joseph has scored 147 runs from five matches, and he indicated not knowing when he is going to be in the team has affected his game.

"When you are going to play, you only know a couple hours before the game," he said. Joseph was also bitter over his non-selection to the limited-overs squad currently in England.

"Yes, it's a disappointment, but I am getting older and wiser," he said.

Joseph also felt the West Indies Cricket Board was not clear on its plans and this makes life difficult for players to plot their future.

"The board specified that they want changes, but if a player or players don't know where they stand in these changes, you need to think about your personal life," he said.

Joseph, who successfully led the West Indies 'A' Team on a few occasions, said he had two conversations with chairman of selectors Gordon Greenidge, but there are still more questions than answers.

Though he did not divulge the full content of the conver-sations, Joseph said Greenidge called him while he was in England and a follow-up conversation took place on his arrival in the Caribbean.

"We had a good discussion," Joseph said. "He was talking more like I had retired from cricket - I don't know why he thought that I retired from cricket," Joseph said.

"I have been performing for the 'A' Team. I have done well for Leeward Islands, and you are not really getting just reward for your performances. It seems to me that probably I am not involved in the senior team set-up."