"Trust me," said Richie Benaud, "it looks more like 150."

It wasn't a wild prediction from the former Australia captain. England were tottering at five for 72 in the 20th over. They'd started off strongly with a lovely knock from openers Andrew Strauss and newcomer Mal Loye that had brought up 50 in 61 balls. Loye was impressive, knocking Glenn McGrath to various boundaries and beyond before losing his wicket on 36 and heralding the collapse.
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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
I don't know about the innate traits thing- most of us don't believe in that save a few Truman's and Boycotts - but your right, the key is culture and science and an understanding of individual and team accountability. Perhaps, the intense focus on one player in the West Indies has been one of the contributors to the decline- When Ricky fails, and Ricky is better than our current best players, others do step up becuase they know they will be held accountable by the public and the selectors. Another issue is the island politics and island choice- I have no problem with fixed quotas, but when the cupboards are bare and stringency is the key word, then the best must be picked. It is interesting that Mike Hussey had to wait so long to get in this side, but now he is in, he's so hard to out, legally or not. Hopefully the same will be true is someone like Sylvester Joseph or Ryan Hinds gets in - Although that may be a pipe dream - All in all a useful series of observations in this article, however.

Ms. Baksh ,

I enjoy reading your articles . The key word in this piece IN MY OPINION is INVESTMENT .

The LACK OF INVESTMENT in my opinion encapsulates ALL that is wrong and missing from Cricket in OUR Region .

This I squarely lay at the feet of the WICB aka the Pirates . To my knowledge , the last 2 persons who recieved training overseas were Gayle & Sarwan .

They allowed the Academy in Grenada to close . The constant back and forth with the Players aint helpful .

I dont have the same platform that you have to air my views of what is wrong with Cricket in the Region , but I generally do through this MB .

If you have never read any of my posts , let me reiterate some what I think is wrong in this Region .

First of all WE have to acknowledge that CRICKET IN THIS REGION IS GOVERNED BY A PRIVATE ENTITY . This entity has for years governed Cricket in the Region as though it is running a Mauby Shop that was hastily constructed by the roadside .

The blunders , faults , and flaws of the WICB are not only numerous but also monumental . This is compounded by the duplicity of their bedfellows , persons who profess to be in your profession , who I take great delight in calling PSEUDO SPORTS JOURNALISTS , they are shameless charlatans . who refuse to be critical of the WICB . This fact has allowed the WICB to continue their evil ways ,One wonders where the hell they learnt their journalistic skills , mainly due to the fact that they have never invistigated anything concerning their bedfellows the Pirates .

I recently read a piece by Michael HOLDINFG , asking what happened to the the money that the WICB obtained from SKYSPORTS . I cannot recall any of the pseudo sports journalists in the Region following up on Holdings statement . I at least have been deafened by their silence on this matter .

The WICB and the Pseudo Sports Journalists in the Region are largely responsibly for the decline of Cricket in the Region .

I have therefore come to the conclusion that Cricket in the Region would be best served by the removal of the WICB from governing Cricket in the Region . In my opinion any new entity would , with a minimum of effort do better than the clowns that habitate the WICB .

I can writ more , but hopefully you have got the drift of where I am coming from . BTW perhaps you can tell me WHO OWNS THE WICB ???? . I have asked this question on many occasions and have not got a reply .

Regards ... . POINT .

In reply to POINT

POINTS ,
Please tell us where the money is comning from. The key IS Investment- but unless you are going to tell us where the money is comning from, your criticisms of the WICB have little merit.
Its easy to lay oiut a detailed programme of what the WI can do to help revitalise our cricket , but without money-INVESTMENT-its a pipe dream.

In reply to carib


the WICB should have made use of someone like Lara. Great batsman that he is, where are the dvds , the t shirts , the posters? Do they have a marketing department at Factory rd?


The assholes dont know how to attract business much less run and maintain a business.


WI cricket needs to become financially self sufficient.

In reply to terminator

Do you really think the WICB can make Lara shirts, hats, tees, etc. and sell them without first acquiring certain rights from Lara?

_r

In reply to Admin
So.....acquire them in a deal that provides opportunity for both parties to benefit. All other savvy cricket board executives do this.....

In reply to newdread

Lara don't seem inclined to help the WI board do anything....he'll want market rate for his rights and the WICB cant afford dat....

In reply to carib

stanford put up big bucks for free.

carib beer, red stripe, kfc, c&w, digicel, and a plethora of sponsors, will put up money. governments will put up money.

world bank, us aid, canadian aid, norway, sweeden, japan, etc, all have funds available for infrastructure development in small countries.

so investment funds are available in bountiful excess. what is lacking are the proper systems for applying these fund, and the means and will to catch and penalize those who will surely tief de money.

cricket CAN make money as it does elsewhere. and wherever there are economic opportunities, investment will follow.

In reply to Admin

no but I am sure if lara was getting some kickback from it , he wouldnt mind now would he?

In reply to newdread

Yes, but that actually calls for something called *work*. We both know that's not happening anytime soon.

_r

In reply to Admin :lol: :lol: :lol:

In reply to Larr Pullo
Why even consider Lara in the twighlight of his career, what about making Gayle and Sarwan into the kinds of players that they should be - Why focus only on Lara and trying to affect his last earnings, implying that he is selfish-Aren't there other players? What else must he give up to satisfy Caribbean envy? Is this not a team? A great team can make money with good marketing-and yes admin work is important?

It's wrong to say that Australia were missing three recently retired players when it's a limited overs match being discussed. Warne and Langer have not represented Australia in ODI cricket for a long time.

On a more agreeable note, I am tired of hearing people here say things like "It's all a cycle, West Indies used to thrash everyone, they'll go full circle and do it again". Bullshit! I'm tired of responding with "No they won't, they cannot match the infrastructure, the succession planning, or the professionalism required to do that. They can't keep up and they can't rely on raw talent anymore!" :evil:

Ho humm...yawwwnnnn....

...boring....trite....old hat regurgitation of what umpteen people already wrote...

...even plagiarism, maybe?

I expect the next piece to be about the sun rising every morning....

:roll: :roll: :roll:

In reply to redbaron

took u long this time.........yuh slipping.....

In reply to OVAL291

Not really....I only checked it just before posting.

Shyte does not get high proirity from me.

She probably has a growing bundle of dutty clothes piling up in the untidy house while she writing tata. This type of ooman usually keeps house very badly, if at all, while putting up a false front to the public.

If only she would leave cricket alone and stick to cooking....recipe...household tips - if she know any....

:lol:

In reply to redbaron

I agree wid u 200 %.........women must know their role and play it..........

In reply to OVAL291

You agree.....you like ting eh...stoke fire...give basket....

..if I had more time I'd indulge you some more, but I have work to do...

:lol:

In reply to carib

Let me put it this way Carib , YOU TELL ME WHY THE PIRATES DONT HAVE A LOT OF SPONSORS ??? .

That is where the money is coming from also revenue from TV Rights .

On this very MB there is an article by Michael Holding asking the WICB to explain where the money they got from SKYSPORTS went .

As I have continuously stated CRICKET IS A SERIOUS BUISNESS AND NEEDS TO BE TREATED SERIOUSLY .

Unfortunately the WICB believe in treating Cricket like a Mauby Shop . That is why WE are spinning top in mud with these jokers .

What is needed in my opinion is a Quasi Govermental Entity to Govern Cricket in the Region , with total Accountability , total Transparency , and because it gets money from the Regional Governments , THEY WILL HAVE TO PUBLISH EVERY YEAR A FINANCIAL STATEMENTS .

In reply to Bootsie

In my opinion WE ARE SUFFERING FROM THE PIRATES WHO DO NOTHING . ALSO THEIR BEDFELLOWS WHO ALSO REMAIN UNCRITICAL OF THE PIRATES .

The Pirates know that the Pseudo Sports Journalists are always going to look the other way especially since they are in bed with each other .

Look up to now these charlatans , who masquerade as Sports journalists have refused to investigate the query by Michael Holding , regarding the money the WICB got from SkySports . Yet they want people to take them seriously .

These as I have said repeatedly are the twin devils killing Cricket in the Region . Many here on this MB know that , also others in the Region yet they remain silent .

In addition a Personnel Inventory needs to be taken at Factory Road in Antigua . I am of the opinion that several people are getting paid and aint doing much .

Regards ... . POINT .

In reply to POINT

if you are talking about the PITTSBURGH PIRATES, the answer is simple-they have a small home market in comparison to other baseball teams-and that affects their sponsorship rights!

It never ceases to amaze me that people don't want to admit that the BIGGEST -and I even go so far as to say the ONLY-reason that the WI cant get big sponsor money is that they are serving a small, poor, fragmented home market.
India has a billion person united TV market to dangle in front of sponsors. We have a SIX MILLION PERSON market, fragmented among more than a dozen territories.
Only the most idiotic people in the world could imagine that we could possibly compete with India in attracting sponsors. England has a 50 million market and Australia a 20M market-and both countries are rich, with strong economies full of established , big companies with lots of money.
Go through every other cricketing country and they all have home markets bigger and richer and more united than ours.
The WICB could be perfect and could appoint every one of the Windward islands players to the WI team and we still wouldn't be able to compete with these countries financially.
Thats the fact, jack, and the sooner CC.Com people realize and understand harsh reality (I'm not holding my breath) the sooner we can have intelligent conversations about the capabilities of the WICB. I expect we will have continue to have these ridiculous, juvenile name calling and fact free diatribes about how mythical sponsors who would readily invest in WI cricket if only we brought in a new set of new(unknown) people.

In reply to carib

IF the west indies were a world-beating team, as they were in the glory days of yesteryear, and they were to play a test and odi series with oz, how many people worldwide would watch the match, buy tickets, that is, and how many would watch tv, how many would buy the dvd's.

and IF west indies were to play india, how many people worldwide would ...........

and if the west indies were to play packistan............

got my drift??

and IF the wicb would get off their fat ugly arses and assist with the development of the north american market, and play india, packistan, england in the usa, new york, miami, how many people would..........

but doubtless some will say "and what IF it began raining nuggets of gold on the wicb?"

the extent to which that is impossible is the same extent to which it is possible for the west indies to return to their winning ways and a to worldwide audience.

john arlott said one of the greatest thrills that he experienced in his lifetime was to see richards leading his team of panthers on to the field. an indian cricket fan told me that when west indies played india, he got goose bumps watching the west indians bat and field. an englishman told me that west indian cricket is the most exciting, the most watchable, in all the world, and did wonders for the develoment of cricket worldwide.

how many hundreds of millions would hieneken pay to have the west indies team wear hienekin shirts all over the world.

when asafa powell sprints, is it a world event, that people the world over will pay money to see, or is it just for the people in the little village in jamaica where he comes from? would you say nike, adidas, puma, reebok, have any interest in what he does and what he wears? or just the handful of old folks in his village.

dujohn said the west indies once played for respect. what do they play for now? a few coins to see them to the next boogie bar and whore house. and who wants to have the name of their product associated with a bunch of drunks and whorers?

it is we, ourselves, who are killing ourselves with our pursuit of failure!!