In defense of Hilaire
Statement from Caribbean Studies AssociationThe Caribbean Studies Association, (CSA) a professional organization made up largely of scholars but including activists, artists and writers, recently held its 35th annual conference in Barbados (May 24-28). The CSA sees its mandate as providing an intellectual space for the free expression of ideas and frank exchanges concerning issues affecting us as a region. In this regard, a special plenary on Nationalism and the Future of West Indies Cricket was held that was open to the Barbadian public. It was moderated by Sir Hilary Beckles, historian, cricket scholar and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, and featured UWI lecturer Justin Robinson, distinguished cricketer Rawle Brancker and Ernest Hilaire, Chief Executive of the West Indies Cricket Board.
In his presentation, Dr. Hilaire insisted that we must situate the challenges the West Indies team currently faces in a wider context. He shared with the audience the astonishingly high turnover of regional players introduced to international cricket in the past decade, and argued that the overall West Indies team performance is not a simple matter of some individuals not playing well, and who need to be rotated off the team. Dr. Hilaire’s point was that the challenge is structural, partly reflecting the uneven global playing field we face today, including advances in technology that also alter how the game is played and how one develops strategies for winning regularly. It also reflects the problems we face in the region today, and this second observation seems to be the one that has precipitated the outcry across the region last week, in particular comments that were made with regard to the educational levels of our cricketers and the need to seriously address this, as well as to find ways to combat the lure of instant gratification and easy money.
The vigorous panel discussion has since been followed by an avalanche of comments on call-in radio shows in Barbados, on websites like caribbeancricket.com and the regional media. Many have singled out Ernest Hilaire, for attack and condemnation, some going as far as to call for his resignation. A statement issued by the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) has called for Dr. Hilaire to apologise, describing statements made by him as ‘outrageous, disrespectful and revealing’, and as engendering disrespect and contempt for the team.
We urge the regional media not to be carried away by easy soundbites, which have misrepresented the thrust of Dr. Hilaire’s invaluable contribution to the CSA panel discussion on the future of West Indies cricket. For anyone listening in the audience that night, there was no mistaking his profound commitment to West Indies cricket. This was clearest when he spoke of the High Performance Cricket Centre that will soon open in Barbados, which will nurture and cultivate our players in all aspects of and all things related to the game. Investing in our young people is the best way of asking them, in return, to become proud ambassadors and the best our region can offer. Dr. Hilaire’s declaration, that we need to make a solid, sustainable and lasting investment in our region’s human resources, was one that was applauded by all present. There is too little of this investment in today’s Caribbean, and is one of the reasons why our young people leave the region at such alarmingly high rates. This is what made Dr. Hilaire’s position so commendable and so hopeful. It does us all a profound disservice to misrepresent what he asked us to consider last week.