Windies resurrection?
Published: Sunday | April 8, 2007

Orville Taylor, Contributor
It's Easter Sunday, supposedly the day that our Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead. The Bible says it was on the third day, not the same as the third defeat. Therefore, most supporters are doubtful that the Windies will have a resurrection against South Africa on Tuesday.
However, like the faithful, who pin their hopes on the glorious return of the saviour, I live in Hope. Actually, I work in Mona but that is close enough.
Despite the recent revelation of the 'discovery' of the tomb of Jesus, Mary (Magdalene) and their purported son Joseph, most of us believe that he will return to save us from the wretchedness of despair. Some of us will probably drop dead when his white robes look even whiter than expected, because he has black skin. After all, we have become accustomed to having white saviours coming from not as far as heaven but the two next best places - America and England.
Among the dark-skinned World Cup teams, we find mostly white coaches. Pakistan's late coach, Bob Woolmer was English, though born in India. Our 'coach,' for want of a better description, is Australian Bennet King. India had cricket legend Greg Chappell who has suddenly resigned. Actually, I can't blame Greg because India and Pakistan used to be the same country and both are cricket-obsessed nations. A 'chapel' is the place where acolytes assist a priest. I would be running scared since it is rumoured that 'aconite,' a white powdery poison, was used to kill Woolmer. Imagine a half-deaf person hearing: "The acolyte must dust out the chapel!"
Still, other whipped cream in coffee and chocolate include: Kevin Curran for Zimbabwe, Tom Moody in Sri Lanka, South Africa's Mickey Arthur and What more? Yes! Dav Whatmore, Bangladesh's coach. Only hard-fighting Kenya, and Bermuda with their biggest player being an 'all-rounder' in every sense, have dark-skinned coaches, in Roger Harper and Gus Logie, respectively.
Turf battle
The World Cup has become a turf battle for much more at risk than simply the winning of a cup. At stake is the ability of the smallest world-class cricketing 'nation' to hold a large sporting event. True, it is being advertised as the third-largest sporting even in real terms it is not.
The one and a half billion viewers in the Indian subcontinent who watched only the first round of matches lead to this conclusion. However, in terms of the actual number of athletes, officials and countries, it has to fall well behind the football World Cup, the Olympics, the World Championships of athletics, (even the junior version held here in 2002) and the Commonwealth Games. So, if we stretch the imagination, it could rank fifth. Still, it is large.
Nonetheless, we have spent a lot of poor people's money to host this event and the bitter pill of disappointment has been difficult to swallow. The Windies might have to swallow another pill to be able to stand up to the challenge. Yet, it could be too little too late because they seem to have neither the right will, bats nor balls for the job. On present form they should go back to using red balls and pad themselves up until the run flow by their opponents subsides.
That is bad enough, but it gets worse. Someone murdered Woolmer in one of our prestigious hotels. Some say choking, others opine manual strangulation, the Pakistanis say no foul play and we are left hanging.
Criticism
Our police have come under much criticism from all and sundry and hypocritical detractors, ironically from the land of our expatriate deputy top cop, are suggesting that he is probing the wrong 'crooks'. None has noted that so many of the coaches are white but now questions are being raised about Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields' very visible face as the spokesman for a mostly black police force. Big deal! Who do you expect to speak on behalf of the Windies, Clive Lloyd?
Nevertheless, Shields was a bit off the Mark in declaring that there were no Jamaican suspects because nothing was stolen and our methods of killing are more violent. The last part is somewhat true because even though we like to 'sciance' our enemies by sprinkling stuff at doorways, we generally would not use aconite because "we no powder man". Indeed, his utterance, which I understand that he has denied, is unfortunate, if really made, but it should be offensive to us Jamaicans, not the foreigners.
Suddenly, the Brits have a problem with their super cop who apparently, because he is now representing the darkies' constabulary, should be 'de-nigrated.' Well, he is working for us and gets my support as long as he is representing the Jamaican police and Jamaica's interests.
Woolmer, regrettably, must have been killed by his 'friends'. There were no strangers on his floor and security was as tight as the bind that the Windies are currently in. It might not have been aconite but something smells. Our security forces must be commended because they have controlled the crowds far better than the British manage their football hooligans.
If the Pakistanis, with the help of the Americans, can't find 'Osama bin Hidin', who is reputed to be well ensconced in the Pakistani hinterland, I am sure that they will be of great assistance.
Unlike some unpatriotic, selfish Jamaicans I really hope that we do not drop the ball on the rest of the tournament. This is my country, my region and my team. Let's pray for a Windies resurrection.
Dr. Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of The West Indies, Mona.