C&W still calling shots

What is the real story with West Indies cricket? Do we know all the facts? The damage done to the regional game off the field over the last couple days is probably more than the cricketers’ inconsistent performances on the field over the last two to three years. Cricket is a sport —  it is about winning or losing. Reality though is that what has purportedly transpired in Australia, is about life and cultural divides. When a group of men gather anywhere in the world, whether it be in the office, at a bar or in a restaurant, eventually women are on the agenda, one way or the other. But  men are not alone because women also have similar persuasions when they meet. Therefore the Digicel’s representative’s views and subsequent report have to be taken in their proper context.

This is an Englishman whose expectation may have been ideal but West Indies is not an ideal team. These are a bunch of players who have talent but because of their various lifestyles and backgrounds may find it hard to resist temptation, which has never been fully explained to them. We must also consider that we have heard stories in the past by several former West Indies players of opposing home teams dispatching women late at night to distract our inexperienced players. While this is not meant to be a justification on the reported shocking behaviour of any West Indies player on tour, there is little short of serious fines and penalties that can be done to exercise some control. Maybe the time has come to impose sanctions such as banning a player from a match for breaking the rules.

But there is also no reason to believe that what has been said about the players is not true. Our players are certainly not the only ones who behave in this manner. The records will show that Pakistan, England and Australia, to name a few, have their own difficulties in dealing with similar problems away from home. However, what stands out the most is that there is a clear and definite noise in the background. It is a Cable and Wireless phone ringing off the hook all through the Digicel report.

It appears that the agreement reached in Grenada prior to the departure of the team was no agreement at all.  Instead it was just a convenient way to protect the pride of all concerned. If we are to believe the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), their instructions were clear about what the players could and could not do for the new team sponsors. The ambiguity arises over primarily impromptu events which were not scheduled, but arose when the West Indies team arrived in Australia. It is our understanding that the West Indies Players Association justifiably were sticking to their guns and the original arrangements, while the new sponsors wanted to utilise every ounce of advertising advantage encountered Down Under. It was stated that there were times when several of the West Indies players felt that their practice sessions were being organised as if it were movie auditions. 

There were so many lights, banners, earphones, and other recording devices, one could not blame them for this assumption. A compromise was required and certainly the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association should have come to an immediate agreement with the team sponsor to prevent instances like these occurring during the tour. The West Indies Cricket Board had a liaison officer on the tour, and while his power may have been limited, surely he should have smelled the coffee earlier or at least before the January 20 letter from WIPA and notified his bosses immediately when the first problem arose. On the other hand one can easily say the West Indies Players Association, because of the sum of money being pumped into game by Digicel, should have been more conciliatory.

And that if the roles were reversed and it was Cable and Wireless who were still the team sponsors, none of these problems would have arisen. Does this mean that Cable and Wireless still have more power in the West Indies team than Digicel? It appears so. That my friends is where the problem lies. What action can the West Indies Cricket Board take at this juncture, will depend on the reports from the manager and coach. And if they are in anyway consistent with the Digicel report, then expect fireworks.

If not there should be an apology from the West Indies Cricket Board, and a stern letter of warning from Digicel, that should further reports and problems re-occur, then the exit clause in the contract will be enforced. Where do we go from here ? There are no winners — the players have lost, the public have lost, young cricketers have lost, sponsors have lost and the West Indies Players Association and West Indies Cricket Board have also had their position of power drastically reduced in any negotiations in the future. What has our cricket come to now? How much lower can we sink? This apparent infighting and disunity can only hurt our game.