Tony Becca FROM THE BOUNDARY

WEST INDIES Cricket Board (WICB) president Ken Gordon on Monday announced the formation of a committee to restructure the region?s cricket and, despite the brilliant performance of the West Indies the following day when they outplayed Pakistan, there is no question West Indies cricket needs some help.

According to Gordon, the committee, former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, Sir Alister McIntyre and Dr. Ian McDonald, has been asked, among other things, to review the performance of the WICB, past and current, to assess its strengths and weaknesses, to consider the composition and structure of the WICB and to make recommendations, which will improve its overall operations, governance effectiveness, team performance and strengthen its credibility and public support. And that
sounds good.

High-profile committees

The problem, however, is that over the years ? and especially so in recent years ? presidents after presidents have set up high-profile committees to look at West Indies cricket; they have organised retreats to look at West Indies cricket and nothing has ever come out of them.

The fear is that as brilliant as its three members are, this committee will serve no purpose whatsoever ? at least not as far as lifting the standard of West Indies cricket is concerned.

It will end up doing nothing at all ? either that or its findings and its recommendations will be totally ignored.

The truth, however, is this: while the performance of the board really needs to be looked at, while its image and its credibility really need to be looked at and need to be improved, the problemswith West Indies cricket go beyond that.

One of the problems is the lack of support for the clubs and another is the fact that in this day of professionalism there is not enough money in West Indies cricket.

The clubs in the West Indies, and certainly here in Jamaica, are suffering. They are suffering from the lack of money and one reason why they are suffering from the lack of money is the decline in membership.

In spite of all the talk about loving the game, about supporting the game, another reason for the lack of money in the clubs is also the lack of support for the clubs by many in the business community.

Money for the clubs, however, is only a part of the problem. Money for the players, those who do not represent the West Indies, is another part of the problem.

Football getting bigger

In the West Indies, and certainly here in Jamaica, club players are not paid, first-class players ? those representing Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana etc. etc. ? are paid only a pittance and with a sport like football getting bigger and bigger every day, with club footballers getting paid, with national players ? those representing Jamaica etc., etc. ? getting paid, it is getting more and more difficult to attract young boys to cricket, much more to keep them dedicated to the game.

More and more, the youngsters of today are not prepared to train and practise every day and to play every Saturday and Sunday without getting something in return.

I have no doubt that Patterson and McDonald love the game, and I have no doubt that Patterson, McDonald and McIntyre would like to help the game. The question, however, is this: Can they really help?

They can, but only if they can find some money for the clubs and for the non-Test players ? or if they can convince the board that West Indies cricket is more than the West Indies team and that those who produce West Indies players and those preparing themselves to represent the West Indies deserve some of its money.