WAVELL Hinds' appointment as captain of Jamaica's team for the regional 20/20 championship next month has been firmly knocked down by his former clubmate, Jamaica and West Indies representative Daren Powell.

Hinds, 34, was appointed to lead the Gus Logie-coached Jamaica last Thursday, following a series of 'trial' matches held to select the squad. Hinds was preferred to regular captain Tamar Lambert who was not selected for the squad as Jamaica attempt to win their first 20/20 title.

Powell, 32, who returned from County cricket in England toward the latter part of this year, was bruising in his comments when asked by the Sunday Observer to reflect on the appointment.

"Wavell is not cut out to be a captain. I have said it to him to his face and I have said it to other players. I don't think that he has the qualities to lead a team which includes youngsters who are looking forward to moving up.

"He didn't have a good 20/20 tournament last year... he did not perform, so based upon what he did and what he has done since, he should not even make the team as a player this time.

"With him in the team, he is stifling some youngsters who want to play and make it to the West Indies team, youngsters like Nkrumah Bonner and Andre McCarthy," said Powell, a native of St Elizabeth.

Hinds declined to say much on Powell's view when contacted yesterday.

"That's okay, I really don't want to comment," said Hinds, a veteran of 45 Tests, 119 one-day internationals and five 20/20 outings for the West Indies.

Fast bowler Powell, who has played with the left-handed batsman and right-arm medium pacer Hinds for several years at the East Kingston-based club Kensington, has made no secret of his lack of fondness of Hinds' leadership style in previous years.

He said he would have been happier if the selectors had opted for fellow Kensington player David Bernard Jnr as captain following what he described as Bernard's fairly good performance while leading the West Indies 'A' team in their recent series with Pakistan.

He was also not too happy with the treatment meted out to Lambert, but said he could understand the thinking behind that.

"If Lambert is not in, why not appoint Bernard Jnr, who did not do a bad job as 'A' team captain? Why go for Wavell who did nothing when he was the regular captain of Jamaica?

"While I can understand that Lambert may be better suited for the four-day game, why treat a player who has done so much for Jamaica over the years in that way? I wonder what the (Jamaica Cricket) Board is doing for our cricket when they go back for Wavell," Powell said.

Powell, who said he has not retired from first-class or international cricket, but was staying away from the scene based upon "things that were happening", also suggested Marlon Samuels as a possible captain.

Samuels returned from a two-year ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last May for his contact with an Indian businessman whom the ICC described as a bookmaker .

Samuels has since represented Jamaica in a tournament in Florida, as well as the regional 50-over championship here last October, until injury floored him and limited his participation.

"Marlon Samuels has proven that he can lead a Jamaica team," Powell said. "I was a player on the Jamaica team and I know the capabilities of the players. Once Marlon can put aside some of the negatives and focus more on the positives, he can lead any team. Jamaica should look to Marlon as a future captain.

"The players know that Wavell is not a captain, but they're afraid of speaking out because of the man that he is and the Board can be vindictive. It is time to stop the favouritism," said Powell, who has played 37 Tests, 55 one-day internationals and five 20/20 matches for the West Indies.

POWELL... the players know Wavell is not a captain, but they're afraid of speaking out