West Indies cricket has been trying to rebuild since 1995. And this is 2022 and we are still in rebuilding mode. And we are here because we lack the vision to get the sport to operate in the 21st century. Our recent fiasco was the T20 World Cup. We took a senior citizens squad to the WC and got as expected, totally outplayed. In the Caribbean, we ignore data but the data says that WI is mediocre in every format. In Test cricket we are eighth in the rankings just better than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. In ODI cricket we are ninth just above Afghanistan and Ireland and in T20 we are seventh. Therefore, when I opine that WI cricket is mediocre, I have the facts to back up my assertion. So, where do we go from here?
First our governance model needs an overhaul. Right now, the President and Vice President are elected every two years. Given the structure of CWI, they are stuck in perpetual election mode. They are always seeking the approval of those who make up the electorate and decisions are made solely on what will assist them in retaining their positions and not for the development of the sport. So we start at the governance level. I can write a whole article about governance but just say it needs a comprehensive overhaul.
Next, we have to take a critical look at our cricket. Within the last 10 years, maybe outside say Jason Holder, we have not really produced consistent performers in international cricket. Now, I can see authorities in the other countries in the Caribbean cursing me right now but I will tell them to take off their partisan hats and refute my claims. Note, I didn’t say persons that play international cricket, we have produced a lot of those but we have not produced cricketers that can consistently deliver at the international level. So we have to start by agreeing that our system right now doesn’t meet international standards. Again, I will use data to prove my point, right now we don’t have any batters (have to be politically correct here) who have an average of 40 in test cricket. And I mean players who have played more than ten games. Just before we went to Sri Lanka, we decided we wanted an opener to partner Kraigg Brathwaite and we chose Jeremy Solozano. Solozano has a first-class average of 24 and we took that young man to bat at the top of our order. Did we expect him to perform? Is that an environment that would suggest that he would be successful? Unfortunately, the young man got injured fielding in the first game and took no further part in the tour. My question to the cricket authorities, do you think that a player with a first-class average of 23 from 42 games should be asked to open our innings in a Test match? I expect someone to say who else could we have taken given all the others had failed and that would be my point. When we get to the point that a player with a first-class average of 23 is your saviour then that must be an indication that something is totally wrong with your development plan.
We have this first-class regional cricket modelled after the franchise system. This system has failed us miserably. While it was supposed to allow for greater participation, it has not been functioning well at all and don’t take my word for it, look at the players it has produced. Nothing of note.
So what is the solution? CWI as the sole governor of cricket in the Caribbean has to ensure that the correct feeder systems and development plans are set up with constant monitoring in each territory. This would ensure that players acquire the requisite skills to play international cricket. Here I am talking age group cricket starting from kiddy to under 19. After 19, the better players would enrol at a high- performance cricket setup to continue to hone their skills for the next level. It cannot be three countries; it has to be every country in the Caribbean.
Coaching is another point of concern for me. We have this annoying habit of waiting until a few weeks before a tour to have players assembled to work on fitness, technical issues and I would think chemistry but I am not sure about that last area. Now anyone who coached at any level would understand that one cannot decide to do out of season work during preseason or in season. There is a reason why work is categorized as post season, out of season, preseason and in season. If one tries to overhaul a player’s technique in preseason or even in season, that player will not perform. That is coaching 101. Our issue is that we prepare for an event when the event is upon us while others are preparing months/years in advance. Therefore, I suggest we hire coaches that understand how to maximise our players’ potential and not just wish and hope. Coaching has become science-based.
Finally, while we are putting these other things in place our senior team will still have to play. We will still have players with paltry averages for selectors to choose. I suggest that our plan should require every contracted WI player when they return to their individual territories, that as professionals they will have to report to the coach approved by CWI to work on their flaws. These flaws would have been recognised by the WI coach and relayed in the form of a workout program to the individual territories. That would take care of the issues of trying players’ flaws 2 weeks before a series. And when that player’s flaw has been exploited by the opposition, be surprised because work was done 2 weeks earlier. Nonsense!!!
In short, West Indies cricket needs a major overhaul and we as citizens should demand it and not be bought by the hierarchy with the selection of one of our countrymen. Our cricket is floundering in mediocrity and there is no light at the end of the tunnel because in the last youth World Cup we ended up losing to the UAE. If the replacements are coming 11th in the world then expect that our senior team will be made of players that are no better than the ones before them.
Terry Inniss is a basketball coach.
This column was offered as a Letter to the Editor.
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