WI triumph in Guyana

They were disparingly referred to as the West Indies “B” team but the players that Shivnarine Chanderpaul led in Bourda, Guyana, last weekend, came close to beating South Africa and deserve to be commended for the effort they made. This is particularly so when we consider the circumstances that led to many top players being side-lined.

Indeed Bennett King, the coach, paid tribute to what he described as the “team chemistry” that stood them in good stead. He also made the point that the players enjoyed the game and each other’s company! That is a telling statement that calls for some reflection. For one thing how long is it since Windies players “enjoyed” the game of cricket and to such an extent that they played well enough to make us not only feel proud of them but to give us a glimpse of the old days and of what a West Indies cricket team could deliver.

Now that the dispute over contracts involving WICB, and some of the players, including Brian Lara, has been settled, we look forward to the rest of the matches being played in the spirit of enjoyment of the game by both players and spectators. This crisis over sponsorship should never have been allowed to develop to the point where the perception was gained that a West Indies team, minus several of its best players, did not represent an effective threat to the South Africans. There was also concern that gate receipts on the current tour and the hosting by the WICB of the 2007 World Cup tour were in jeopardy. The situation had been handled clumsily from the outset by the West Indies Cricket Board of Control which appeared more concerned with its sponsorship contract with Digicel and an “employer” versus “employees” posture. On the other hand the players were not exactly blameless in all of this, and it is to the credit of Chanderpaul that he was able to take the so called “B” players to near victory.

Almost ironically, the showing of the West Indies team in the First Test which ended Monday, was from Day One far better than originally anticipated, with the West Indies declaring at 543 for five on the Second Day, routing South Africa for 188 all out, and enforcing the follow on. This would have been the reason why Chanderpaul has been retained as captain for the entire series with Courtenay Browne as vice-captain. Lara who has been selected to play and is now relieved of the burden of the captaincy, will be able to concentrate on his great ability as a batsman and hit South African bowlers all over the Oval this weekend, to the delight of his home crowd. We look forward to a great Test match in Port-of-Spain.