Insularity must not affect World Cup plans

THE EDITOR: It is ironic that as the West Indies prepares “itself” to host the region’s biggest ever event, sporting or otherwise (the 2007 World Cup), the very team that is “West Indies” may find itself on the brink of extinction! As extreme and radical as this may sound, the possibility unfortunately exists. Who does West Indies cricket belong to? This is an extremely complex question. Does it belong to the players, the regional governments, the WICB itself or the people of the Caribbean? There is no denying it ultimately belongs to the six million odd people living in the region, but we have very little say in how the West Indies team functions and operates. We have ‘thrusted’ this responsibility upon the various regional administrators who collectively make up the executive of the West Indies Cricket Board. This job is generally thankless with many critics waiting for the next mistake. And mistakes there have been many, the most recent being the debacle surrounding the hiring of a new coach, and more recently the election of a new President.

Throughout the 75 years that we have played cricket as “a Test playing Nation” many changes have taken place in the region as we have moved from colonialism to independence. The genesis and growth of the WICB has not always reflected these changes, and has been slow in freeing itself of the colonial shackles. However in all fairness to its credit, the WICB has done a remarkable job in holding the region together, where Caricom and other regional bodies have failed. As we moved further away from the collective struggle to independence in the 50s and 60s, autonomy has bred insularity. And it is this that can ultimately destroy the game in the Caribbean. As we prepare to decide who gets what games for the 2007 World Cup, the decisions can have far reaching repercussions. While we are represented by a common cricket team, that is all we have in common. Our economies compete against each and in this ever difficult global market when we should be working together we seem to be growing further apart. I certainly do not envy whoever is in charge of making the decision of who gets what games for 2007, a decision that should be devoid of political interference, given on merit and suitability, and to a lesser degree on tradition. That is once the traditional venues have upgraded their facilities to meet ICC requirements.

This is the reason why Brian Lara has the most difficult and important job in the region today. No West Indian captain has ever had this type of responsibility, not even the great Sir Frank Worrell. A new and improved, mature Brian Lara has started this task very admirably. I am impressed how quickly he has silenced all his cut throat critics, with some even heaping praise upon our master batsman. He has begun the task of taking us out of the doldrums of perhaps the most difficult period in West Indian cricket history. All this while helping these youngsters to cast aside their insular misgivings and play together as a team. Now if the administrators can get their act together then perhaps West Indies cricket will last beyond 2007. We need transparent constitutional review and perhaps reform of the game and a team that ultimately belongs to us!

DR NIGEL CAMACHO
Port-of-Spain