The West Indies Cricket Board stood up to be counted a few days ago when, with the West Indies heading towards defeat in the first Test against Bangladesh, it stated loudly and clearly and for all to hear that it would not negotiate with the players through the players association under duress, that it was committed to the players who answered its SOS when the 'real' players, the members of the full West Indies team, went on strike and then, after losing the Test match, proceeded to stick to its guns.

In another show of defiance, the board also said that the players had breached the agreement regarding the retainer contracts and that it had suspended those contracts until the players return to the fold.

The loss by the West Indies, for what ever the reason, by a comfortable margin of 95 runs, handed Bangladesh only their second victory and their first away from home in their history of 60 Test matches, and to many West Indians, even though as many as some 30 players made themselves unavailable for selection, to lose to the weakest team in Test cricket was an embarrassment.

And looking at the West Indies while they were at the crease, looking at the dismissal of Dale Richards, who, in contrast to Kevin Pietersen's good fortune when he escaped at Lord's yesterday after Ricky Ponting missed the stumps from five yards, was carelessly run out in the second innings after escaping an appeal for leg before wicket, their batting, especially, was really embarrassing.

The board is right

No one likes to lose, and the question, therefore, is this: is the board right in sticking to its guns?

For my money, the board is right - up to this point.

The players have a right to earn good money, they have a right to ask for more, and no one should question that.

To me, however, the board's ability to pay what is asked of it depends on what it earns, what are its other financial obligations, and when it comes to hiring coaches, organising various clinics and competitions, those obligations include funding the development of the game in the region.

Based on what has been reported, the Board has little or no money, if it pays the players what they want or the percentage they are seeking, it would be left with no money to develop the game - to keep the game alive for the next generation of players, and unless the players believe that that is the fault of the board why this is so, they do not have a right to demand more money and to go on strike for more money.

Losing money

Apart from remembering that every time they go on strike, money is lost, money that could go towards paying the region's first-class players, money that could go to the bankrupt clubs, and money that could probably pay them more, the players should also remember that the West Indies team, once the best in the world, is now at number seven of the top nine in world cricket, it had been at number eight for a long time, it has been in its present position since all but Shivnarine Chanderpaul started representing the West Indies 15 years ago, and if they believe that the board is responsible for the present state of things, on and off the field, for the failure to win, for the lack of sponsorship, and for the poor attendance at matches, then they should lobby for the removal of the board members or for a restructuring of the board and the way it is elected.

The players should remember, however, that one reason, a big reason, probably the biggest reason, for the present predicament in West Indies cricket - the lack of sponsors and the lack of fans - is that they, as players, barring one, or two, or may be three, have not been performing.

Although they call themselves professionals, the players should also admit, most of them, the majority of them, that one of the reasons for their poor performance is that when it comes to training, to practising, they do not behave as professionals do.

They seldom train and practise as often and as thoroughly as they should in an effort to sharpen their skills - to become the best.

The board had no choice but to flex its muscles, whatever it has, this time around.

Enough is enough!

As the body elected to run the affairs of West Indies cricket, legally and rightly so by those in cricket, by those who support cricket day after day, out of their pockets and with their time, the board has a responsibility to select the best players, the best team, to represent the West Indies and the people of the West Indies, and as such it is obliged to do all within its power to make that possible, and as quickly as possible.

Even if their members are right in their present stance, however, even if it is right in suspending the retainer contract which, at best and based on the attitude of the players who refuse to practise, to train, and to play when not representing the West Indies, is a waste of money, the board cannot and should not take the high road and believe that because it is right, it is its way or no way.

As the guardians of West Indies cricket, the board must try to resolve the problem or problems and in doing so, apart from trying to come to an agreement that will pay the players based on performance but, remembering the poor standard of their present performance, at a level worthy of 'professional' players, it should remember two things.

The first is that it represents the people of the West Indies, and that win, lose or draw, the people want to see their best team in action; and without allowing the players to do what they like, when they like, and where they like, the second is that it is its responsibility, in the interest of West Indies cricket, to do as much as possible to get them back, as soon as possible, and especially so the young ones - the ones to whom representing the West Indies is still an honour.

The best West Indies team

The best West Indies team does not necessarily involve the best players. The best West Indies team should involve players who want to play for the West Indies, players who train and practise in order to perform for the West Indies, and players who do not like to see the West Indies lose.

West Indies cricket is bigger than the board, it is bigger than WIPA, and it will always be around. Its strength, however, on and off the field, depends on three things - on the skill, the commitment, and the dedication of the players, on the support of the people, and in doing what is in the best interest of the game and the players, on the strength of the board.

One of the strengths of the board must be, and should be, the will to let the players, the West Indies players, know that as the board, it is here not only to protect them as West Indies players, but to protect West Indies cricket, including its future, for the people of the West Indies.