West Indies Cricket Continues to Slide
The decision by the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) to withdraw support for Joel Garner and back countryman Dave Cameron confirms the crisis West Indies cricket finds itself. Cameron has presided over the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) at a time when a West Indies team had to abandon a recent tour of India speaks volumes. The end result of the failed tour to India is that the WICB has been in grovel mode to resolve the issue with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) who is understandably upset at an out of pocket position of USD42 million.
It must be evident to even the most ardent West Indian cricket supporter that the leadership of West Indies cricket over the last 20 years has failed. The inability of the WICB structure to metamorphosize to ensure it remains relevant by producing competitive teams has been a sorry tale. The horse trading that occurs to select Board members is not based on ability but rather who are better at playing the politics of West Indies cricket to derive a result shaped by narrow and parochial interest.
The question the solution oriented will ask is how do we change it. The management of West Indies in its current form makes it difficult for public opinion to be a difference-maker. The WICB is comprised of the little exclusive fiefdoms of the individual territories Leewards and Windwards included.
There is resistance against the politicians getting involved although there is a sub Caricom committee responsible for cricket matters. Logic says if the West Indies governments are expected to bail the WICB financially – we can cite the CWC2007 as an example – then it must be allowed to participate in the process of managing cricket. The danger in selecting this approach is that regional governments have been unable to show by performance of managing the affairs of state this would lead to a good result.
Around and around the mulberry bush we go and the time approaches when Bangladesh, Ireland, ZIMBAWEE will ease pass West Indies in the ICC rankings. What have we seen since the aborted India tour fiasco? The incumbent WICB president Dave Cameron is the front runner in the next WICB presidential election and Wavell Hinds retained as head of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). What has changed is the removal of a few players considered ‘rebels’. There is a moral to the saga playing out which we have witnessed all too frequently in West Indies cricket.
West Indian supporters who want change are left to wish the unthinkable – allow the West Indies team to be relegated to playing with the ICC group. Such shame maybe the only way the region is jolted into a position that we have to change or die.
Barbados Underground 
David, de rsat man say: backward neva, forward eva.
Cameron is a ‘Don’. He nah step back. When ‘im wrong, ‘im right and when ‘im right, it’s as if the Almighty has spoken and given praise.
Despite all the evidence of his missteps and bad decision making he does not seems in any way perturbed or concerned that he should step down.
If nothing else Mr. Cameron is bold and seems to remain very cool under pressure. Qualities he will need in abundance over these coming weeks and years if he is retained as President.
@Hants: there was no ability to salvage the tests. The WICB attempted to send a replacement squad when Bravo led the players back home.
BCCI said absolutely no to an A team replacement; who at the time were on tour as I recall.
What I don’t recall if who validated the $42M claim. This matter was never heard before an arbitrator or court as I recall. Cameron from the git go disputed the jurisdiction of the India courts.
Surely the tour contract between the parties would have stipulated how any disputes were to be resolved so its interesting that there was even a disagreement on that.
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disciplined batting by samuels and gayle last night
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What about the bowling GP.
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TV stations in Toronto showed high lights of Chris Gayle. One female reporter said ” the wicb president had to eat crow”. lol
I watched the game last night and as GP said above the batting was disciplined.
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RE David February 24, 2015 at 3:14 PM #
What about the bowling GP.
AFTER THE BATTING I WAS SATISFIED AND WENT TO SLEEP. LOL
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@GP
The Zimbabweans rattled up almost 300 runs AND if there was rain after the cutoff they would have won Duckworth and Lewis. They were never behind the WI run rate.
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The win papered over a lot of cracks,Gayle was lucky to survive the first ball and the score was flattering and the batting pedestrian for long periods. At one point when Gayle was close to a hundred they scored 15 runs in 5 overs including a maiden to Gayle. If they don’t improve it will be an early vacation for the lot.
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http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/838389.html
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Listened to Garner last night on the CBC cricket show, was NOT impressed.
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painful…very painful.
Our bowling is treated with arrogant disdain by SA.
But what makes it so painful is that the bowlers are so completely cowed by this team at crunch time.
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Latest score West Indies 108 for 8.
The link below underlines our sad decline since 1976. However there are some remarkable clips which highlights how great we once were.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/8012888.stm
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@DeeWord
Remember a question was asked of GP last game what about the bowling? It is pedestrian at best. Who are we fooling? Scoreboard pressure of 400 runs would have forced an irrational response by the batsmen caused by scoreboard pressure who have mush between their ears.
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Yea David, I saw your query then. Agreed with you and felt that we were going to get flogged by SA.
Didn’t expect it to be so bad though because I thought the shellacking we took in SA and also in earlier games would help the guys hit their markers against AB and his boys.
Obviously my optimism is the ranting of a madman.
But with WI cricket I dust myself off and continue to expect miracles still. The very definition of insanity, right.
As you said, mush between their ears.
The only consolation is that we can still make the quarters as long as we beat UAE. Realistically we could possibly beat India also.
But to what avail.
To do a repeat of this and get another humiliation by Australia or NZ.
Young Holder is either going to be as strong as the best steel forged from that hot SA kiln of AB’s bat or he will be as the American’s like to label it a ‘journeyman’ player whose entire career is defined by this red-hot fire of 10 overs for 100+.
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@DeeWord
Where is the utility in reaching the quarterfinals if we know from the outset there is no realistic chance to win the Cup?
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Well, all true but no less utility in going to WC in first place.
The point is lost on our guys but the utility is about getting better against the top teams. Taking them down to the wire today as we strategise to beat them tomorrow.
That’s what Ireland and Afghanistan etc are trying to do.
We have beaten these top teams previously so we think we BELONG.
But the truth is that although this era of players have some individually brilliant guys; as a full unit we are not as good as we think we are and we need to be thinking just like the Associates: how do we improve against the best.
After WC, Gayle goes (health etc), Smith’s time comes to an end, soon too thereafter Sammy and Samuels.
So if Holder is made of that steel I spoke of earlier then he starts his next WC campaign with his goals for a major improvement at the quarters; playing a good, competitive game against a top team.
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Even if WI were to win the world cup what would it mean? Surely it does not indicate we would be the best given our inconsistent form. The defeat today is unlike any other in history. The flaw in your last comment is that the focus needs to be on the irrelevant WICB.
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David, your last comment is perplexing: ‘Even if WI were to win the world cup what would it mean? ‘
Well, YES it would mean we are the best. Plain and simple.
Hamilton can be inconsistent through the racing season, but at crunch time when he pulls off the must win races and is crowned champion then the question of ‘why inconsistency’ becomes part of the planning for the next season.
Despite all the tribulations I remain a card carrying member of the ‘West Indies Cricket Admiration Society’ (per TC) so I know things are very bad but I also look forward to a better training program and a significant improvement in performance.
I agree re a focus on the ‘irrelevant WICB’ upcoming elections but realistically it has been a focus for some months now.
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@DeeWord
If the WI were to win do you believe there would be consensus it was the best team in the world? If India, Australia, NZ or SA would there be consensus the winner was deserving?
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