Lara savaged by cheat-outs

THE EDITOR: All of our regional media must hang their heads in shame - including any of those which may have the unusual courage to publish this letter. For years now the West Indies Cricket Teams have been playing against teams of 11 players plus two umpires. One of the more savage instances was at Lords on Friday July 23, when two of our premier batsmen were dismissed, not by the English players but by the umpires. That our players continue to wilt and be demoralised by this now common practice, brings tears to our West Indian eyes. That our cricket administrators continue to mullishly accept this abuse justification for their summary, collective dismissal.

That the media of our region do not make this a continuing headline issue, and do not embark on a sustained crusade to bring fair-play back into the game, is unforgivable and comprises the privileges and respect that they continue to insist are their due. We identify with our Cricket. Without the umpteen cheat-outs with which he has been savaged by so many umpires, Brian Lara would surely hold every batting record in the world of cricket. No one can ever repay him for those stolen opportunities, but with media fortitude and resolve we can put a stop to the blatant thievery, even at this late stage. Let these losses be a turning point for fair treatment of West Indian Teams. And shame, shame, shame on a dishonest English wicket keeper.

BUDDIE G MILLER
Port-of-Spain