Tony Becca
THE NEXT World Cup of cricket will be held in the West Indies and, according to the organising committee, the aim is to make it the best ever to put on a show that neither the players nor the fans from around the world will ever forget.
West Indian fans want more than that, however: they want the West Indies to win the World Cup to become the first home team to do so.
Right now, however, that appears nothing but wishful thinking and it appears so for the simple reason that West Indies cricket, for a number of reasons, is weak, because of that, the West Indies team is weak, and unless things change between now and 2007, it still will be weak at that time.
If that is so, it will be good enough, as it is now, only to win a match here and there but not good enough to win consistently.
MEDIOCRE BOWLING
Those who doubt that the West Indies team is weak have only to look at its record in Test and one-day matches in recent years; at its batting which is brilliant at times and disappointing most times; at its bowling which is mediocre and at its fielding which is weak and so often embarrassing.
In fact, although a number of their young players are really talented, a good look at the West Indies team shows that when it comes to the basics of the game whether batting, bowling or fielding, the team that was once so brilliant running between the wickets, bowling a consistent line and length, and moving in the field is now among the weakest of the Test-playing countries probably better than only Bangladesh.
One reason for that is that the lack of financial reward for first-class players in the West Indies has driven older players out of the game. That means that the vast majority of first-class players in the region are youngsters; that means that more players are getting into the West Indies team at a younger age than in the past and that also means they are getting there before they are properly developed and ready to compete at the highest level and against seasoned professionals.
While the presence of young, talented players suggests a good future, too many at one time is begging for trouble and with so many players getting into the West Indies after only a few first-class matches, with so many players getting into the team while still teenagers, with so many players getting into the team as batsmen and bowlers after scoring only one or two first-class centuries or after taking a few wickets, that is one of the problems with the West Indies team.
A good look at the West Indies team, a good look at teams like Australia, England, South Africa, India and New Zealand shows that the West Indies are sending boys, inexperienced boys at that, to battle against men experienced men at that.
The question, therefore, is what can be done about it? And the truth is that it is difficult to do anything about it.
In spite of whatever else is wrong with West Indies cricket, the big problem is the lack of a league that would provide an income for players the sort of income that apart from attracting youngsters to the game would keep older players in the game.
TOUGH COMPETITIONS
Experience is important in the development of young players, so too, tough competitions, and as was the case once upon a time when former Test players continued to play club cricket and regional cricket, when players who did not play Test cricket continued to play the game until they could play no more. Those are some of the things that older players bring to the table and which are important in the development of young players.
Times have changed, however, and without money to support a professional league in the West Indies, the presence of older players in club and regional competitions is also wishful thinking.
Something, however, must be done to make the West Indies a better team, and although it probably is not the ideal situation, short of a professional league, the best thing to do is what the board is talking about.
According to the board, it plans to put together a squad of players and pay them even when they are not representing the West Indies.
Remembering some of the problems of this team, however, in doing that, the board should set down some rules including some that will ensure that the players train, practise and play. And in order that players are not thrown out after one bad performance and others brought in after one good performance, there should be certain standards which players must meet in order to get into the squad.
DEDICATED PLAYERS
In other words, those who get into the squad should be players who are dedicated and committed to the game and to West Indies cricket, who have performed consistently well, who want to be the best and who have the capacity to perform at the highest level.
Although there will always be an exception or two, although the door must always be kept open to accommodate a player with a special gift, remembering the importance of grooming and experience, maybe the time has also come for the West Indies board to set some basic rules for the selectors rules that should tell them not to select teenagers to the West Indies team and not to select players who have less than two years experience in first-class cricket.
If that is done, then maybe the West Indies team will no longer have so many fast bowlers on the injured list, will no longer have so many batsmen who are so easy to dismiss, will no longer have so many bowlers who cannot bowl a decent line and length and will no longer have so many fielders who cannot run, cannot field, cannot catch and cannot throw.
If that is done, the West Indies team will no longer, and so often, look like a set of boys playing against men.
