WEST Indies batting stylists Sir Frank Worrell and Lawrence Rowe have been surprisingly chosen as opening batsmen in an Alltime West Indies team selected by a former Jamaica player in his latest book to be published soon.

Former Jamaica batsman Paul Buchanan in his book, Jones Town/Trench Town/The Journey Back; penciled in both as the openers, a move which is certain to attract controversy and spark raging debates.

In his selection of the All-time West Indies team, Buchanan, who also captained the Jamaica Youth team in his time as a Wolmer’s Boys’ School student, went for the surprise pair of former Barbados, Jamaica and West Indies captain Worrell, and Jamaica great Rowe, ahead of the tried and proven Barbadian pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, West Indies cricket’s most successful opening partnership, and the other Barbadian achiever, Conrad Hunte.

Buchanan argued that both Worrell, whom he named as captain, and Rowe, were technically the soundest batsmen who opened for the West Indies.

“Although the opening pair of Rowe and Worrell will elicit some controversy, it must quickly be remembered that players are chosen at their best and neither Conrad Hunte nor Gordon Greenidge, the other serious claimants, were better players,” Buchanan wrote.

“Additionally, in the long history of West Indies cricket, the two were easily the most technically correct that have graced the stage, a virtue vitally important against the moving ball.

“It should also be recalled that Worrell opened for the West Indies and batted through an entire innings, scoring 191 not out against England in the heavy atmosphere at Trent Bridge in 1957.

“Rowe also opened for the West Indies against England in 1974, scoring 120 in the second Test at Sabina Park, his monumental 302 in the fourth Test at Kensington Oval and 123 in the fifth Test at Queen’s Park Oval,” Buchanan wrote.

Worrell, as former Jamaica Senator who died of leukemia in 1967 at age 42, averaged 49.48 and took 69 wickets in 51 Tests for the West Indies, while Rowe played 30 Tests and averaged 43.55.

The team’s middle order batting line-up include Jamaica great George Headley, whom Buchanan named as Worrell’s vice-captain, world batting legend Brian Lara, the explosive Antiguan Vivian Richards, Barbadian runmachine Sir Everton Weekes and the greatest allrounder that cricket has seen, Sir Garfield Sobers another Barbadian.

Headley averaged a stunning 60.83 runs from 22 Tests, Lara 52.88 from 131 with 34 hundreds and 11,953 runs, Weekes 58.61 from 48 Tests and Richards 50.23 from 121 matches with 24 hundreds and a total of 8,540 runs.

“Headley, Lara, Weekes and Richards select themselves by virtue of superior production, quality of batsmanship and overall averages.

“Sobers’ place is beyond discussion,” Buchanan wrote.

Another decision that could have voices raised is Buchanan’s choice of wicketkeepers in John “Jackie” Hendriks, ahead of his younger Wolmer’s Boys colleague Jeffrey Dujon, one of the most colourful and exciting wicketkeepers that the game has seen.

“Jackie Hendriks was excellent to both spin and pace and must be selected ahead of Jeffrey Dujon and Jerry Alexander, who were more comfortable with pace bowling,” argued Buchanan.

In the bowling division, Buchanan opted for the pace/spin combination that included Barbadian speedster Malcolm Marshall and zippy, nagging quickie Curtly Ambrose of Antigua to share the new ball, with Guyanese Lance Gibbs as the lone offspinner.

“Marshall with 376 wickets at an average of 20.64 from 81 matches and Ambrose with 405 wickets at 20.99 from 98 matches, must be chosen ahead of (Michael) Holding with 249 wickets at 23.68 from 60 matches and Courtney Walsh with 519 wickets at 24.68 from 132 matches and Andy Roberts with 202 wickets at 25.61 from 47 matches,” the author wrote.

“Joel Garner with 259 wickets at an average of 20.97 from 58 matches demands deep analysis but loses out to Ambrose’s greater productivity and longevity with roughly the same average.

“Lance Gibbs, our most successful spinner with 309 wickets at 29.09 separates himself from all others.

“A serious case could however be made for Holding who was the most devastating and Walsh who boasts a monumental output of wickets at a relatively low average,” Buchanan wrote.

Buchanan’s All-time West Indies team in batting order: Lawrence Rowe, Frank Worrell (captain), George Headley (vicecaptain), Brian Lara, Everton Weekes, Vivian Richards, Garfield Sobers, Malcolm Marshall, Jackie Hendriks (wk), Curtly Ambrose, Lance Gibbs.

Reserves: Rohan Kanhai, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Clyde Walcott.