A SHEPHERD NEEDED FOR WEST INDIES CRICKET – BASIL SPRINGER COLUMN APPEARED IN THE BARBADOS ADVOCATE’S BUSINESS MONDAY ON 13 JULY 2009
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” – Psalm 23:1
West Indies Cricket is certainly in a continuing state of flux. We seem to move from one issue to the next and it appears as though it gets more and more embarrassing on each occasion. There was the Patterson Committee which was commissioned to propose the restructuring of the WICB. What has been done regarding the implementation of this report? To what extent has the public been apprised? Other issues recently were the debacle in terms of the cancelling of a Test Match at the Sir Vivian Richards ground when it was known beforehand that a Test match could never have been played under those conditions. Did politicians influence the WICB? An over-enthusiastic member(s) of management getting involved in matters on the field of play, which decision resulted in the West Indies losing a One-day International which they should have won.
The current issue between the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) seems to be the latest episode in the ongoing series of issues. My reaction is that it is a combination of incompetence by the Board and greed by WIPA. Until there is a total restructuring of the WICB, as I have alluded to several times before, we shall continue to be presented with these manifestations of inefficiency. Until the West Indies players start performing consistently, I think that there is little justification for them to be going on strike, whether or not they are right or wrong in the context of collective bargaining protocols.
The recent major opportunities for financial gain in the context of the newest 20-20 version of the game, Stanford and the Indian Professional League, seem to have created arrogance among the players to the extent that they have lost sight of the fact that they are professionals and need to behave in a manner which shows some consideration for their primary supporters – the people of the Caribbean, at home or in the Diaspora.
The structure of the West Indies Cricket Board is such that the majority of the supporters in the Caribbean are disenfranchised and, hence, have little say in the democratic process which apparently is in place and which leads to the selection of members of WICB members. There is much reported mutual back-scratching which results in sub-optimal decision making within the WICB structure and, I also understand, that there are lots of political pressures which also result in the sub-optimal decision making.
Why is it that a selectors’ panel, and I’m not only thinking of West Indies cricket, must consist of 100% former players? The selection process certainly requires skills which include other considerations. It was impressive to see the WICB act swiftly to ensure that an alternative team was selected to allow the first Bangladesh Test to proceed on time. Reading the profiles and statistics of the team members selected (and there were a number of other names which could have been considered), it would appear that West Indies cricket has a lot of talent from which it can draw.
I personally don’t expect the present team selected to perform any worse than the first team, with the exception of a few super stars, based on recent experience. Indeed, it wouldn’t surprise me if these youngsters take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to impress, so that the selectors, contrary to their customary process, may see alternatives to the bunch which have represented the West Indies team in the recent past.
If I were the WICB I would not be too anxious to re-instate the first team until they have sat down at the table and negotiated responsibly. It was reported that the last attempt to do so resulted in a meeting between the WICB and WIPA terminating in approximately half an hour because of, what I interpreted to be, a very hard-line precipitous response by WIPA.
It might be a good opportunity to give these younger players a chance to shine. For example, I understand that there is Craig Brathwaite who, at the tender age of 16, has scored nearly 40 centuries in his youth career. This, surely, is an indicator of tremendous talent for the future. We remember the selection policies which delayed the start of Brian Lara’s career. The selectors have included Craig Brathwaite in the squad for the First Test against Bangladesh but he didn’t make the team. I remain puzzled at the decision-making processes of the West Indies Selection Committee.
The success of a team is probably 10% skill and 90% application. All of these guys, when they reach this level, have the skill that is required. Some have more experience than others, but what will differentiate them in terms of sustainable success is the degree to which they can apply themselves, irrespective of the attractive financial bonuses which they can expect to make these days. This successful application will not be automatic but those who seek advice, or are fortunate enough to have a shepherd who can give them the correct advice, have an excellent opportunity to succeed.
Everyone seems to get fired up on issues as they occur and then the issues gradually die away. Everyone has got complacent to the extent that they appear not to care. Maybe the press should re-examine their role and, instead of making cynical comments deriding the actions of the WICB, they could spend their time positively suggesting, on a sustained basis, various actions for the future.
(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is Change-Engine Consultant, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. – CBET – Columns are archived at www.cbetmodel.org)