West Indies must rise from within

THE EDITOR, Madam:

For missing out on World Cup qualification, if someone is to be fired, I would start with Carl Hooper. He said that the position of the West Indies (WI) in world cricket was “distressing”. He basically wrote the team off before the tournament began! The WI had to play in qualifiers last World Cup cycle, and we made it to the World Cup in England. Who’s to say we couldn’t have done it again in these rounds? A coach should never, ever hang their team to dry in front of the media, it should stay in the dressing room. If you find it distressing, why are you in the job? You’re hired to fix it. So, in the players’ minds, if they are playing qualifiers, they don’t deserve to be at the World Cup.

Clive Lloyd rightfully asked, who wouldn’t turn down lucrative offers overseas from franchise cricket? Do we expect these guys to play for free? Franchise cricket is not destroying WI, it’s helping West Indies cricket, at least in the T20 format. The WI just won a T20 series against South Africa in South Africa. Our players travelling ‘round the world enables them to familiarise themselves with different conditions, different pitches, different boundaries, dressing rooms, stadiums, and face players who they will match up with while wearing the maroon colours. They are even learning different languages so that they can decode tactics overheard from the opposition team on the field.

I am fed up with all these pots calling the kettle black who run their mouths claiming to have the panacea to the fortunes of West Indies cricket, when they themselves were part of the decline. Shai Hope is miles ahead of Darren Bravo. Joshua Da Silva is miles ahead of Ramdin and Ganga. Kemar Roach is miles ahead of Ian Bishop, and Jason Holder is already smashing Darren Sammy’s statistics.

So, we don’t need a committee with Rowley or new bats or change of sponsors. Players are too comfortable; perform and thou shall be rewarded. It’s mentally draining knowing that one can be working so hard regionally to get selected, but someone who is a big player gets the nod in the playing eleven.

We are not living in the era of black-and-white TV; we must stop comparing this generation to previous generations. Support this crop of players and let them forge their own dynasty, their own style of play, their own success. The WI are constantly forcing them to be like past great players and teams, and not pushing them to be their best selves.

Nothing is wrong with the governance. The West Indies Women are running riot against Ireland, and we have a good record in Dominica. West Indies owes us a resounding response against India, rally ‘round the West Indies, WI is here to stay!

KENDELL KARAN

Chaguanas

Trinidad and Tobago