One appeared fairly predictable, but the other would have triggered some debate around the region.
Carl Tuckett, the 27-year-old all-rounder from Nevis, boasts of neither an outstanding reputation nor record since making his debut for the Leeward Islands in 1995.
Nothing more than an honest medium-pacer and unspectacular right-handed batsman, Tuckett might have felt the selectors were eyeing him when they unexpectedly picked him for last week's University of the West Indies Vice-Chancellor's team.
He has been unable to hold a settled place in the Leewards team but his most recent performance is encouraging. In four matches in the 1998 President's Cup, he has scored 143 runs (ave. 35.75) and taken ten wickets at 17.10 apiece.
He was less impressive in last season's Red Stripe Bowl limited-overs competition in which he got little opportunity to bat and conceded 4.23 runs an over in taking five wickets at 36.40 apiece.
In calling up Tuckett and recalling Keith Arthurton for the first time since his catastrophic World Cup two years ago, the selectors have again by-passed West Indies A players on last year's tour of South Africa in seeking replacements for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is ill; the rested Courtney Walsh and Franklyn Rose, who has been dropped.
Laurie Williams, the Jamaican all-rounder who was the A team's most consistent performer in South Africa, and Barbadian Ottis Gibson, who has One-Day International experience may feel somewhat unlucky.
Williams, who had a handful of matches against New Zealand in the Caribbean two seasons ago, was considered unfortunate not to be in the original team. A hard-hitting batsman and tidy medium-pacer, the 29-year-old Williams hit a century in one of 11 first-class innings in which he averaged 35.30. As a bowler, he took 14 wickets at 34.85.
Arthurton is more fortunate. His international career appeared to be finished following a succession of scores in the 1996 World Cup, where he had a grand total of two runs in five innings.
The 33-year-old Nevisian, a veteran of 86 One-Day Internationals, enhanced his claim with an MVP performance in the Red Stripe Bowl in which his aggregate of 408 runs (ave. 136), which included two hundreds and three half-centuries, was a new regional record in one-day competitions.
Arthurton's value is further appreciated by his quick, flat left-arm spin and his fleet-footedness in the outfield.
After two matches, the selectors have dropped Jamaican fast bowler Franklyn Rose. In Sunday's opener when he used the new ball ahead of Curtly Ambrose, he went for 31 from six overs and on Wednesday, his eight overs cost 50 including 17 in his final over when he was hammered all over the place by Mark Ealham.
Rose's place is taken by Nixon McLean, a Test debutant this season.
The five-match series is tied 1-1 following two exciting matches at Kensington Oval. After this weekend's matches, Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad will stage the final match next Wednesday.
The 13: Brian Lara (captain), Clayton Lambert, Philo Wallace, Stuart Williams, Carl Hooper, Keith Arthurton, Phil Simmons, Ridley Jacobs, Rawl Lewis, Curtly Ambrose, Mervyn Dillon, Nixon McLean, Carl Tuckett.