Tony Becca
BOARD PRESIDENT Ken Gordon appears to be one of the growing numbers of West Indians who believe that the West Indies can win the World Cup in 2007.
Like many of those who share his view, Gordon believes that the West Indies boast three batsmen - their number three, four and five in the batting order - who are as good or better than their counterparts in any other team, an opening batsman and three bowlers who only need to be a bit more consistent, an outstanding all-rounder, a promising wicketkeeper, and there is no doubt about that.
Unlike his fellow believers, however, Gordon does not believe that someone can wave a magic wand and transform a losing team into a winning team, and it is good to know, not only that he appreciates that, but also, as he said while addressing the Barbados Chamber of Commerce recently, that he is willing to do something about it and is planning to do something about it.
According to Gordon, what is needed "is a toughening experience that can only come from a systemmatic and carefully planned programme of training - from one designed to address their weaknesses and build their strengths", and again there is no doubt about that.
The question, however, is this: What is the Gordon plan - the plan that can turn the West Indies from a team of up and down performers into a set of consistent performers and then into a winning unit?
The Gordon plan is to set up a system of retainer contracts - a system that will put the players under the direct control of the coach who will then "identify their weaknesses, mobilise the resources to work with them to correct their problems, plan physical and mental toughening exercises, reinforce discipline - a condition we treat lightly but which is at the heart of all success, and build camaraderie as a way of life".
COMPETING UNDER PRESSURE
Although that would only be a part of it, although they would still have to be competitive and be able to compete under pressure, that is good - no doubt about it.
Retainer contracts cost money, however, and the good thing about the plan is that Gordon, probably because of his business background, knows that, and is not prepared to sit back and dream, hope and pray that money will fall from the sky.
In his plan to win the World Cup, in his belief that the West Indies have a nucleus of players who can do it if there is a squad in full-time training, and knowing that it takes money to do that, Gordon has set up a committee of three - Dr. Grenville Phillips of Barbados, William Lucie-Smith of Trinidad and Tobago, Don Wehby of Jamaica - to find the money, and hopefully they will do so.
What is equally important, however, probably even more important, is that Gordon has gone beyond asking for help from people outside the Board.
In his attempt to find the money to prepare the team - to pay for the retainer contracts, president Gordon has also decided to start at "home", to look at cost cutting within the Board, and in the interest of good management, in the interest of West Indies cricket, that could be just what the doctor ordered.
"We have had to tackle the problem of finances on all fronts and have taken steps to review the cost structure of the Board," said Gordon, and in doing so he has put together a committee whose job, according to Gordon, is to identify opportunities for reducing cost wherever possible, to re-cast the Strategic Plan to make it relevant to the circumstances that exist, and to make such other recommendations that will improve the financial performance of the Board.
Winning the World Cup won't be easy. It is, however, possible, and even if that was not the case a few months ago when he was outside looking in, it is good to know that president Gordon believes so, that he has a plan, and that he knows that a plan without money to fund it is, in reality, no plan at all.
