Hoping for change with new president

ONE of the things this newspaper would like to do is to wish the new President of the West Indies Cricket Board a successful stint in office that would include improving the status of the game in the Caribbean.

Recently Dave Cameron of Jamaica became the new WICB President after beating out Julian Hunte of St. Lucia by seven votes to five. Given the current state of the Board’s finances and of the game in the Caribbean, Mr. Cameron and company are going to have a lot on their plate to bring about a turnaround in the game – one of the few institutions known for bringing Caribbean people closer. It won’t be easy, but in contesting the Presidency, Mr. Cameron knew what he was getting into.

Our cricket is at a low ebb notwithstanding the Caribbean side having won the ICC T20 tournament last year and having scored six consecutive Test match victories to match the record of a previous team in the glory days of West Indies Cricket. Apart from all of that West Indies cricket remains in the doldrums. We are not beating the major teams: Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, India; our team can only beat Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, two countries rated lower than the West Indies; there appears to be an imbalance in team selection; the West Indies appears not to be making headway in rebuilding, although there has been a rebuilding campaign since the late 1990s when the Caribbean side ceased being the world champions; Test matches in the Caribbean are being watched by half empty stadiums; matches in our four-day domestic competition are hardly going the distance; and you have the situation where teams are winning matches without scoring over 200 runs in each innings. Then there are the Board’s finances after the media was told there was a Bds$29.0 million loss in 2012. These are the issues which a new President will come to grips with and which many are expected him to deal with.

For Caribbean people who live and eat cricket, they want improvements and not just beating Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, but conquering the others. Their spirits have been broken for nigh 20 years when the once mighty West Indies continue to lose Test matches as if they were going out of style. All of us pray for performances that even if they do not surpass, matched the tear away fast bowling of the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts and Curtley Ambrose. Fans also want to see explosive batting, the sort that was exemplified by Vivian (now Sir Vivian) Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Ritchie Richardson, Desmond Haynes, Clive Lloyd, Jeffrey Dujon, etc. The cricket fans are tired of our team being whitewashed, black washed and their continuing losing streak.

It is therefore up to this President management team, headed by the new President, to get down to the basics and restore Caribbean cricket to its former glory. They also have to find ways in improving the game to the regional level since this is the nursery for the Test team. They have to get people back to watching cricket. This will only be possible once we have a team that is performing. As mentioned in another section of the media, the relationship between the Board and the West Indies Players Association has to improve. So Mr. Cameron, the ball is in your court.