THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE ENTIRE West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) should voluntarily step down or be fired. They are a plague to the progress of West Indian cricket.

The selectors are no better and must suffer the same fate. Blinded by power they cannot see their big blunders.

Criticise and they are ready to strike you down. They gave Gayle the captaincy in a very 'by the way' manner and he played no role in team selection. Then, comment and you know what's coming

What kind of morale boost you are giving your selected leader? How dare you seek to destroy this fragile bond of your team under this cloud of poor performance by them and yourselves? These players are not tools, they are humans who deserves our sympathy, encourage-ment and respect.

Gayle has no reason to apologise to anyone except for his and his team's poor performances. He needs a self-evaluation - he should look at Dwayne Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul for inspiration.

The WICB should have never have placed Gayle in such a situation. The board owes Gayle a very urgent and public apology.

Gayle said: "I am very disappointed with the West Indies Cricket Board for not having the guys here in England already and ready to play".

The WICB issued a very strongly-wordedletter of reprimand to Gayle advising him that his conduct was totally unacceptable.

"As the captain, I have to say this is disappointing and it is not at all a good start. I also have to mention that I was hurt and disappointed that after I was nominated as captain by the selectors, I did not initially get the support of the board," he responded.

Too much cricket is being played and the level of commitment and performance is falling because many players are not given the right training. Academies that harness and develop skills are missing in the Caribbean.

Fans must be prepared to boycott the next home series if there is no change. All cricket-loving fans need to get their government's involvement and the local cricket board.

Hope, perseverance and patience with authority are the credentials for change. Let us all take West Indian cricket to where it should be - the consistent winning way.

I am, etc.,

SHEIK HOUSEIN

shousein@comcast.net

THE EDITOR, Sir:

IN RELATION to West Indies cricket and our culture, for coaches we should use former stars, but not in their own islands.

Note how Sir Clyde Walcott brought Guyana on in the 1960s. He would not have done that in his Barbados. A prophet without honour at home.

Secondly, colonialism condi-tioned us to respect others but not our own. Thirdly, players should eat yam, rice, plantain (fibres) with vegetables and fish/meat and also run on wet sand and swim like Wes Hall did to generate stamina.

We were brainwashed that ground provisions were 'local'. Corn curls and night clubs will not help.

Fourthly, "They won't listen" were words spoken by the late Malcolm Marshall. Bajan players ignore Sir Everton, Sir Gary, Hall, Nurse et al. The other islands ignore their own too.

"Truth sits upon the lips of dying men" (Coleridge). Also, "I wish you were the son of another man", said the Bard. Hence, as coaches, Bajans would respect say SirViv and Walsh, Jamaicans would respect Lara and Croft etc.

"Give us a king like other nations," Israel cried. They got him, and the kingdom disin-tegrated. An Aussie coach does not feel our sentiments and burdens. The paper qualified ones are just as bad.

I am, etc.,

REV. GLENVILLE BUTLER

margaret@horsley17.freeserve.co.uk

Newcastle, England

THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE WEST Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has lost grip and touch with ideas of developing and even running the regional game.

Now what Christopher Gayle did recently was to highlight only a tip of the rubbish which WICB has been going on in their shambolic effort to run a game very dear to our region.

Yet, these failed leaders are attempting to intimidate Gayle for voicing not his opinion, but a fact. The WICB is being inadequate and shameful in its organisation of the regional game.

Chris, do not be intimidated. I admire your resolve in not bowing to the pressures of supposed autocracy. Please back it up with solid performance. So many times leaders take unkindly to truth and when it is pointed out, they resort to shameful intimidation tactics. Don't back down, please continue to be frank about happenings in the game we love.

I am etc.,

ABKA FITZ-HENLEY

abfitzel77@yahoo.com

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I READ the article 'Samuels hits at coaches' in your Sunday Gleaner (June 10), and felt saddened by it all. It is obvious that there is a feeling of reluctant tolerance between Marlon and the coaching staff and situations like this do not happen suddenly.

What triggered and continues to feed it is obviously unacceptable and needs to be dealt with. Situation like this in a team environment must create side issues which can initiate problems of their own and, at this time of a sensitive rebuilding process, there has to be a balance between the refinement of talent and personalities.

If Marlon's transgressions are severe enough to make him unacceptable to the coaching staff, to the team, or both, an obvious decision should be made, in which case we should not have flown the man half-way around the world knowing full well that his fate was sealed.

Obviously, I do not have all the facts, but those who do have a responsibility to assess the situation fairly, make a reasoned equitable decision, and stop acting like a three-card man at a carnival.

I am, etc.,

BRUCE M. EXCELL

Kingston 19

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I THINK the proposal to a build Real Madrid-style football academy in Jamaica is a step in the right direction as far as developing young talent in the football arena is concerned.

We need to take it one step further and ensure that we nurture these guys who will get an opportunity to attend this academy and utilise their services once they leave the academy. Not just send them to the academy to get the training and not use them on the team.

Maybe, not everyone that attends this academy will represent the country but a vast majority should - otherwise the academy would have been a failure.

Let's hope this idea will help to improve our football standings in the world. We have many talented players we just need to pool the talents and start to produce more positive results.

I am, etc.,

ALLAN HUNTER

jagerchilli@yahoo.com

Pyeongtaek,