Much Talent but Little Faith:
Policy must embrace the Potential

Orlando Marville, former Barbados Foreign Diplomat stated on Oct 3, 2004 , "We have gone through a disastrous period in West Indies cricket and the only person being blamed is Lara. Let us put blame squarely on the shoulders of the WICB administrators. They. show little understanding of what is required (and) lack both vision and structure".

Gregg Chappell, former Australian Captain stated in an interview on Oct 6, 2004 , "All successful clubs and teams have dynamic leadership off the field. Like. the past West Indies teams of Frank Worrell and Clive Lloyd".

On Oct 27, 2004 , Gregg Chappell reiterated, ". you've got a team that's struggling, but the natural resources are as good as anywhere in the world. You wonder how much has changed off the field".

WIBC President Teddy Griffith stated on Nov 1, 2004 , "We have been looking for opportunities to use Sir Garfield's talent. We decided we wanted to look abroad and bring a new dynamic to West Indies . This is not to say we do not have the people here in the Caribbean but we have decided to widen the scope".

The West Indies Cricket Team has gone through its worse period in history (since 1999) and the appointment of Australian coaches has generated controversial views. The WICB Administrators appears to be genuinely attempting to rectify the Team's dismal failure by implementing a new management structure.

Over forty years ago the late Sir Frank Worrell rallied against the choice of a foreign West Indies captain, then the special reserve of a privileged few. When in 1958 the "Oxfordian" Jerry Alexander was appointed, Worrell conveniently became unavailable for the Indian tour.

However, Worrell was subsequently appointed for the 1961 tour to Australia and even though West Indies were beaten 2-1, the team so impressed and mesmerized the fans and administrators that West Indies were accorded three-years of reciprocal tours for the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Worrell's next assignment was India (in 1962) where the West Indies got its first "blackwash" 5-0 but Worrell's life-long ambition finally came when he led the team to an easy 3-1 victory on the 1963 tour to England. To have victoriously led a team of ebony boys including C.C Hunte, E. D. McMorris, C.C Griffith and L.R Gibbs onto the hallowed Lords Cricket Ground was his crowning glory.

Sir Frank showed vision with the recommendation that Gary Sobers leapfrog his long-time vice captain, Conrad Hunte. His Excellent Sir Gary Sobers is today celebrated as the greatest cricketer to have played the game.

Coincidentally Australia , current world champions 'since 1995', and former champions West Indies '1976-1995' hit bottom during each other's reign. The way Australia bounced back is well chronicled.

West Indies wobbled from crisis to crisis and Messrs. Marville and Chappell rightly placed the blame squarely on the WICB. Shamefully, WIBC declared that " Australia is setting the standard in today's cricket"; they stand in awe of Australian successes and are timid and apologetic in their dealings with Australian administrators.

Meanwhile, the Australians proclaimed that, "The Gavaskar/Border Championship is now the pinnacle in world cricket - not the Frank Worrell trophy or the ashes". They declared that playing West Indies is no longer appealing and arrogantly cancelled the tests, inviting New Zealand instead. Yet, WICB is still fulfilling the 'one day' part of the tour.

The WICB discarding the potential and experience of their own, have become obsessed with Australian coaches pursuing them with passion, including Byron and Tim Coyle; assigned to the Shell Academy. They employed another three, Darren Holder, Bennett King and David Moore to redirect West Indies cricket.

Ironically, during this 'down' period there were four WICB presidents, all concurring that having players on the English County circuit is responsible for the decline. Yet the Board persisted with 20% of the squad played a maximum of 6 one day matches in October and the championship matches in January and February; in the interim sacking five captains and four coaches.

Despite the team's dismal record, the past year has seen a resurgence of 'flashes of brilliance', having scored a world test record 418 runs and winning three consecutive one-day matches against Australia.

They also scored 306 runs to beat South Africa and won the ICC Champions trophy; against all the odds. The Englishman Lawrence Booth's preview read: "No time for losers, head to head, South Africa 21, West Indies 10, NRI, came breakers: Chris Gayle and Herschelle Gibbs, West Indies might as well pack their bags".

Sir Frank Worrell demonstrated over 40 years ago that West Indians are capable of charting their own success in the cricket world. The talent is evidenced by those flashes of brilliance coupled with Sir Garry's success as Sri Lanka 's coach and more recently Gordon Greenidge's in Bangladesh .

Yet, regardless of the team's performance over the next three years, West Indians will be robbed of the glory that Sir Frank Worrell so desperately fought for by this wave of Australian appointments. Sad but true.

Jeff Layne
BANGO
admin@bango.org.bb