Saturday, after the T&T vs Mumbai match, Dwayne Smith was interviewed. One of the question he was asked was:
Questioner : "how did it feel playing against your countrymen?
Smith : "They not my countrymen, they from Trinidad".
I found it funny and embarrassing simultaneously, but I understood his ignorance. The questioner apparently saw the wisdom in not pursuing the exchange, so he left it at that.
Smith's mentality exemplifies the main problem that has been with us for centuries now, that we seem unable to eradicate. That problem seems resistant even to education.
I wonder what the interaction is on the team between him and Pollard?
Smith either did not understand the context in which the question was asked, or he is so insular minded that that he thought it necessary to ignore the context which highlighted his own ignorance in my view.
I believe he did continue to say words to the effect, the confusion may exist as we are West Indians.
I sort of empathise with him as to call a Welshman English and vice versa would improper.
The outside world do see the West Indies, from a cricketing view point anyway, as one....as a County and to that end Smith could have easily answered the question.
Had he been asked how does it feel to play against your fellow Trinidadians, I would have understand his response a bit better.
I did find it funny and perhaps a point commentators need to be aware of.
At one point Robin Singh was asked a similar question and he simply said he is a professional doing a job.
The West Indies challenge is unique as people do have different currencies, anthems, political systems etc so Smith can be excused.