By Dennie Quill, ContributorAFTER THE humiliating 47 by the West Indies team at Sabina last year, many did not anticipate that there were sadder days ahead for cricket-loving fans. After the Sabina debacle I had made a promise to myself to forget about cricket and turn my attention to something less stressful. But as the wise West Indian journalist Sir Trevor McDonald puts it, "Cricket is a West Indian contagion, you can't escape it. There's no known antidote for the virus, no cure." So here I am now immersed in my cup of woes after the whitewash at the hands of the English.
West Indies cricket has hit the nadir but the headlines this week said 'Lara vows to fight on'. The hapless Lara, the eternal optimist is reported to have said also, "I want my employers to know that I am here, willing to serve them in whatever capacity." It gets better later on, "I think maybe we need a psychologist who can help us, not just as a group, but each individual needs to be worked on to ensure that they understand what international cricket is about." Duhh!
FRESH LEADERSHIP
Many will remember that Lara gave up the captaincy once because in his assessment his leadership had been marked by "moderate successes and devastating failures" Hello? How would Mr. Lara describe his current performance? Moderate successes and devastating failures sound about right to me.
Lara is perhaps the most popular cricketer in the West Indies at the moment; as a batsman he surpasses all others, as a captain he is a disaster. The English commentators have all but pronounced his retirement descri-bing his valedictory wave to spectators after the last match in England. The captain and the leadership of West Indies cricket cannot hide from the responsibi-lity of results. We need fresh leadership and we need it now. West Indies fans and sponsors cannot take any more punishment. I damn anyone who laments that there is no one else. There is always someone else. Right now, there are several young upstarts chomping at the bit for an opportunity to reclaim West Indian cricketing glory. One of the attributes of successful management is the ability to recognise talent, somewhere there is a cricketer who will step up to the plate and make us proud again. It is for the administrators to call him out.
NO SOLUTIONS
West Indies administrators and fans have been in a retrospective mode for many years. We have heard excuses, charges, counter charges, various laments, and even seen a little bit or remorse. What we have not seen are solutions to the problem.
Since November, the team has played about 16 Test matches and after September players will rest until April. The West Indies board owes it to the fans to convene a team think tank to make an honest assessment of the team and its management. They should emerge from that meeting with a blue print which sets in train proper planning and means of building proper infrastructure for the game. Competitive domestic cricket is the breeding ground for quality cricketers. They should also emerge from this mind-mapping session with a new team, a new captain and a new coach.
We cannot host the World Cup in 2007 bearing the moniker - cricket's lame duck. Someone needs to take the initiative to start the rebuilding process.
Having said all of that we also need to look at the hectic schedules that our cricketers are being put through. Should they be playing less cricket one may ask the Board? If one is not physically and mentally steeled this grueling timetable could take its toll. Do they have enough time to get the physical preparation they need?
GOOD ALL-ROUNDERS
When I read accounts about the lacklustre performance of our team on the field, I wonder why we can no longer produce the spectacular catches and unbelievable run-outs which made us cricket champions. How does Clive Lloyd feel when he hears our fielders being described as 'lazy' and 'inept'? And guess what? Our captain told reporters recently that he enjoyed fielding more than batting. The reporter, ridiculing him in his article, predicted that he (Lara) would have a whale of time in the slips watching the English men dispatching assorted deliveries to the boundary and seeing his fielders put down catch after catch.
Cricket experts are pointing to ample evidence that we need to develop good all-rounders and a crop of great spin bowlers. This is because our mediocre pacers are not passing muster with their short-pitched, wayward deliveries and are unable to penetrate the batsmen. Fitness is another area of concern. Whether our players have to take a page from Harmison's book and train with the soccer team to strengthen legs and torsos, we need to try some new things.
We have to return to the drawing board. Meticulous planning and a ruthless demand for accountability are imperative if we are to recover from this nightmare. Winners make the right decisions on and off the field, select the right players and have the ability to effectively marshal resources. Brian Charles Lara is not the man.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who can be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com
