WINDIES NEED SOME WIND!

There is no better sight on the Cricket field than a West Indian Fast Bowler testing the Batsman or the West Indian Batsman demolishing the Bowlers. The Calypso Brand of Cricket played by the West Indies is pure fun and entertainment, irrespective of the format of the game. The boys from the beaches knew only one way to play the game; that is, to entertain.

Of late, the West Indies Cricket Board has been on the news regularly, mostly for the wrong reasons. The regional politics in the Caribbean has grown bigger than the game. The WICB has gone through several changes in the last 2 decades. The Board has seen several Presidents and also Selectors, come and go, but no one has managed to really resurrect the West Indian Team.

It is understood that every team goes through a stage of rebuilding and consolidation. The rebuilding of the West Indian team after the 80s has taken too much of a time. In the past two decades, we have seen Players like Lara and Hooper who truly displayed the Calypso cricket and were destructive on their day. Despite the performance of few individuals over the last two decades, the Team West Indies has never really taken off.

The rebuilding process of a Team exposes the Bench Strength. Bench Strength is heavily reliant on the System in Place. The System identifies and nurtures Talent and provides ample opportunities for the Talented to learn, on-the-field and under the guidance of the seniors.

The performances of the West Indies in the recently concluded ICC World Cup and in the ongoing ODI series against Pakistan have been pretty inconsistent. But the side has got some promising players. Smith, Bravos, Sammy, Roach, Bishoo and Rampaul are all great talent. Add up to it Simmons and Samuels, who are making a comeback of sort. The pool is not that bad after all. Jerome Taylor, Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, all of whom should have been playing for the West Indies now are performing well in the IPL. Chanderpaul and Sarwan with tons of experience have been dropped. If you look at a full team consisting of the IPL players and those Dropped from the Team, it certainly looks like a team that is capable of beating any Country.

The WICB should consider having three specialist teams, one each for Test, ODI and T20 respectively. A handful of players, who are consistent in more than one format of the game, can be given a place in those formats. It is not necessary that we have to have the same team in all formats. Even the World No 1, Indian team has a totally different look in all three formats of the game.

Such an arrangement will augur well for the West Indies. First and foremost, Windies will have horses for the courses. Secondly, more players will be provided opportunities to represent the West Indies in various formats of the game. Thirdly, Bench Strength improves gradually in all formats of the game.

In addition to this, Players should be assured of certain number of chances, before they are shown the door. This will relax the pressure on the debutants and will bring in the best from them. Having said that, Players should be made to travel with the Senior Team and made to play a few tour games, before the West Indies cap is bestowed on them.

The WICB should try to have an annual Tri-Series of ODIs and T20s and bring back the Festive atmosphere in the Caribbean Islands. This will increase the interest for the game in the Islands. In addition to this, sponsorships and financial hurdles can also be eased.

The problems with the WICB have been plenty. The Sponsorships, Finances, Tour Schedules, Regionalism, Players Revolt, etc., are serious issues that need to be resolved. The Administrators must put the game above all when finding a solution for their issues. The Players are Key to it and the sooner they realize, the better it would be for the West Indian Cricketers. With Basket Ball and other sports invading the West Indian Teens, Cricket is in the risk of losing out. If the Teens do not see Cricket as attractive, professionally and commercially, they would not hesitate to shun the game and take up other sports.

GAYLE vs WICB

The decision to leave out Senior Players is debatable. Though I like the game of Chanderpaul and Sarwan, I do not think they should be part of the ODI or T20 sides. The way the WICB has handled Chris Gayle’s issue is not in good taste. Statements and Counter-Statements from Chris Gayle and Hilaire, though adds spice to the controversy, fails to provide insight on what actually transpired. Similarly, the comments of Hilaire on the commitment of senior players are also bizarre. At the end of this, West Indies Cricket is the loser.

If Gayle is fit, why was he not selected? What did the WICB achieve by dropping Sarwan and recalling him once again? If he was dropped for lack of form what made the Selectors feel that he is good enough now? The West Indies domestic season is over and there is no way to know if Sarwan has got back his form. What made the Selectors change their mind now?

The process of rebuilding the Team is not easy. Not all players who are given opportunities perform well in the International Matches. The Selectors must either give such players a lengthy run or find another replacement. They should not press the panic button always. If the Selectors had felt that Chanderpaul and Sarwan does not fit in their scheme of things for the ODI and T20 sides, they should have taken these two into confidence and explained this to time. This way, these two can focus more on Test Cricket and serve the West Indies Test Team for a longer time.

Three fit players Chris Gayle, Jerome Taylor and Kieron Pollard are performing well in the IPL. It is unfair to put the blame only on them for having chosen IPL over the Country. But it is also an irony that three good players are fit and not playing for the Team at a time when the West Indies Team is being thrashed by the new-look Pakistan side. The WICB should retrospect and find out what made these Players choose IPL over the Country.

The resurrection of the West Indies cricket is very important for the Game of Cricket. There are lots of West Indian Cricket fans all over the Cricket Playing countries. The number of West Indian Cricket Fans from these countries is probably much more than the total population of the Caribbean nations.

There are quite a few past cricketers who either stay away from all these issues that plague the West Indian Cricket or migrate to other countries. There are a few who have taken up coaching assignments in other countries. They must all remember that whatever they are today it is only because of the Game that they played for the West Indies. It is high time they all come together and give something back to West Indies cricket.

The Calypso brand of Cricket has great followers across the world. In fact, Cricket became popular in the world because of West Indian style of cricket. The world deserves to enjoy a powerful West Indian Cricket in exhibition. For this to happen, the lovers of the game, the knowledgeable and the ones who have done it all, must come together and have proper systems in place and provide opportunity for the talented to represent the West Indies Cricket, irrespective of the Island they come from. We hope West Indies cricket will pick up and will start entertaining people all over the world!

It’s time to Calypso…