Selectors unsure about Benn's commitment

Sulieman Benn, the left-arm spinner, needs to show his commitment to the West Indies team before he can be considered for international cricket, the chairman of selectors Clyde Butts has said.

Benn, 30, hasn't played for West Indies since the World Cup in March, and was dropped after unfavourable reports from the team management about his behaviour during the tournament. He missed the entire home summer and was left out of the squad for the two Twenty20s in England next month as well.

"I think Sulieman Benn would tell you point-blank that he is available for selection but of course you know what happened when Sulieman Benn went to the World Cup with us," Butts said in a television interview on August 23. "We had some issues with Benn and nothing has happened since then to show us that he has changed his ways and certainly wants to play for West Indies."

Benn has had a string of disciplinary problems since debuting for West Indies in 2008: he was suspended for two one-day internationals for an incident involving Brad Haddin during West Indies' tour of Australia in 2009, and then during South Africa's visit in 2010 he received another ban for an altercation with Dale Steyn and was also sent off the field in a one-dayer by his captain Chris Gayle for refusing to do what the captain asked.

After the World Cup, legspinner Devendra Bishoo took over Benn's spot in the side and made a promising start to his international career. Benn was West Indies' lead spinner till the World Cup, and performed moderately well, taking 51 wickets in 17 Tests and 29 wickets in 25 one-dayers.

"I know the board has been trying to put some things in place for him and one just hopes he can reform," Butts said, "and he can start thinking slightly different now and look at himself as a man who actually has been performing fairly reasonable for West Indies and would want to go on and play for West Indies for a long time."