Questions to answer in Windies cricket
Published on Jul 8, 2015, 3:14 pm AST
T&T Express
By The Diaspora Column by Socafighter
Are the West Indies players a reflection of our society ? I have often heard such words spoken.
I recall going to that famous declaration game at the Queen's Park Oval , in Port Of Spain in 1968 that Sir Garry Sobers made. I wasn't disappointed that West Indies lost ; I was just thrilled with the excitement brought to the game. It was like a 20/20 or ODI game. England was allotted the time and overs should they decide to take up the challenge. They did and won.
Our West Indian team had so many great players , two were never copied or should I say , they had skills that today's generation cannot produce.
Sir Garry Sobers was the perfect cricketer; nothing was impossible for him to do on that field. And if we were to look at Rohan Kanhai and his hook shot or how many parents today are naming kids after our players, the lack of impact of the current crop on the youths nowadays is evident.
At one time, players were motivated to represent their country and ultimately the West Indies. Somewhere down the line were perks. Today it's the opposite. Players just don't care about doing everything possible to win....and that has a ripple effect on the rest of the team.
Who is responsible for a player making stupid shots, or getting themselves run out, or not knowing when to take singles and when to steady the ship ? Blame the management for the structure of the regional system, for poorly made contracts, for labour disputes, but once the game starts everything that happens on that field is the responsibility of the players and within their power. So can we blame the players for this debacle and the many that have preceded it, and those that will follow?
The coaches are probably the least to blame. One after another has come and gone, and you can't tell me they were all bad. You can't coach the uncoachable.
How do you coach a group of players who don't even understand the basics of the game? Yet they make the team.
Is cricket too complex a game for our players? They would be better off putting their natural skills to simpler tasks, more within their reach. Is the WICB the fertilizer that has bred the sour fruit, the underperforming, unprepared WI cricketer who cannot cope with the rigorous demands of international cricket!?
For years we have seen the manner in which our players approach their pregame warm-ups; we've seen them amble around the outfield and lob the ball casually in.
Who is responsible for breaking that mentality and creating a new one?
At the WICB , who is responsible for such changes, once the need is recognised? How is that done, by shoving a new culture down the existing members' throat, or by having players who can adapt? Should they fail by not adapting to that new culture, what do you do? Does it result in failure like over the last two decades?
Who is ultimately responsible for the continuity and the overall health of WI cricket?
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