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ANOTHER NO-BALL now awaits several of the stars from the triumphant West Indies’ World Twenty20 team


I swear we got a bunch of lil boys running cricket.
Well some of them wearing tutus and skipping around in puddles too

In reply to positiveg

Is the WICB the only Board with this policy? If the International players play one game in the regionals would that satisfy the demand that they play regionals?

In reply to billydred

Could you imagine the Brazilian football team with a similar policy?
😕

In reply to positiveg

WICB seems to have no interest in the lifting the WI test team from its low ranking or from the embarrassing losses that the people have to consistently endure, I guess that they have no plans but to persist with the same failed youthful experiment.

In reply to billydred

Then why speak of having talks in June for if you know you have no plans of having the same players representing you?
maybe what WICB needs is to have their Corporate Comms Manager the only person speakig to the mdia, so that way is only one message going out

Good news!
Just another nail in the coffins for test cricket and ODIs!

good riddance

Weren't we world beaters with those players? Oh how sad!

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy... so why change ... is that what you saying?

It is a crying Shame that the WICBC
found it difficult not to consider
a Former Great Player to do the job that Pybus is doing .

It seems to me that Pybus is just as Arrogant as those who gave him the Job . There really needs to be an Investigation , to find out what it is that makes the People who are in the
So Arrogant & Full of themselves .

It has to be that 89 years old Structure that is the reason for their imperious behaviour , which in this day and age is totally outdated .
I seriously doubt that the WICBC made
a strenuous effort in the Region , to hire someone to fill the Job that
Pybus has .

Pybus has brought much needed discipline to WI cricket and the results are there for everyone to see.

In reply to Khaga

Man behave yourself Surya

In reply to POINT

Wicb has always been blessed with poor people skills, negligible man and woman management ability, PR limitations and an admirable inflexibility to the recommendations of many studied reports.

May they continue to br so gifted

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Do you (dis)agree with your friend Walco re Pybus?

In reply to johndom90

I hear You , In essence , in the Kingdom of the Blind , the One Eye Man is King .

[b]In reply to johndom90[/b

actually Brasil had that policy once, I was told.

In reply to POINT

Lol

What can we do......but watch Rome burn.

In reply to camos

Wonder why they changed it?

In reply to camos

Digicel should start picking the team then?

In reply to camos

When was that?

The issue was moot prior to the 80s because prior to then most Brazil's national players were invariably home-based, with only Falcao of the '82 starting 11 playing overseas.

Afterwards, Zico, Socrates, Romario, Ronaldo, et al, never competed in the Brazil domestic league and they had no issue playing for the Brazil selecao because they were not barred because of some arbitrary and nonsensical policy that they had to play in the domestic league to be eligible.

Same was true of Jamaica's track and field where most of the big stars were based abroad

In reply to jacksprat

Jacks, you know what though I'm thinking that perhaps Brazil league is on par to what one can play top flight in Europe with the only difference being the money one was to earn. So it didn't make sense for those guys to come back and be part of the system. Here in the Caribbean we can clearly see the lvel ok cricket is not up to par so it's a good thing to have the guys back practice with the teams play with them bring some interest back to the game. cause if you can see a Gayle playign 50 overs with JA tha twould bring ppl through the gate vs him not playing. I think that could be a point that the WICB is seeing but not saying it vocally, perhaps because they already put their foot in their mouth talking like they need a team of stars not a star team or whatever asinine statement they made.
To me holding on to the policy of one MUST PLAY LOCAL in order to compete is strict and there should be exception to the rule, especially if one is injured then after recovery gets a chance to play overseas, showcase that they are indeed healthy and can get a look in to the team. Among other exception but I'm just drawing one here and now.

Intransigence personified

Okay Tricky Dick, so let me get this straight. You have a policy that prevents your best players from playing for the West Indies because you don't have the financial resources to approximate or match what's on offer from T20 leagues around the world. Please explain to me how this policy furthers the interests of West Indies cricket when you most assuredly will continue to lose your best young players in the future when they develop and become good enough to be in demand by the T20 leagues?

Carlos Brathwaite will soon be lost; perhaps Jason Holder in a few more years; and the beat goes on? You think Jermaine Blackwood will turn down T20 dollars to play for WI? Hope? Dowrich? What's your end-game Tricky Dick? How do you propose to improve our ODI and Test fortunes by putting our best players on the field?

In reply to Walco

But if the Blackwoods and dem don't get to play because the Stars are back, how will the leagues spot them?

And how do you gauge the form of the stars in ODI or tests when they are only playing T20,s?

we can go round and round and yet Windies cricket has been in the doldrums for two decades..stars or no stars

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

The T20 leagues can spot them in the CPL.

We have proven ODI players playing in the T20 leagues Fuzzy. Gayle, Bravo, Russell, Pollard, Narine, Sammy ... Play them and drop them when they fail. It's not like the young replacements are grasping their opportunities with both hands and performing. Let's win or lose with our best players ... simple.

In reply to Walco

some of those don't have good stats, especially in the last set of outings

This is a flawed policy in the modern game. The WICB needs to take a page out of football!

Can you imagine if Messi could play for Argentina, because he doesn't play in the domestic league?
Or Ronaldo cannot play for Portugal, because he doesn't play in the domestic league?

Just because you don't play locally, doesn't mean you play your heart out for your national team!

It's a silly policy that will only be detrimental in the modern game, as cricket transitions to a professional sport with the advent of T20 leagues around the world.

We need to stop thinking that this is only about the current crop of Senior players. There will soon be a next set of players who will graduate to senior status. Holder, Brathwaite already playing T20. So we going to ban them too when they no longer play domestic cricket! It's nonsense!

In reply to don1

Stellar Credentials...just the man to lead us to the promised land..aka Bolivion..on a good day this mother trucker would not be hired as a dogcatcher...which country issues his work permit?

the above is all you need to know - he will do all he can to keep WI cricket a third rate entity……and now that we kicked England’s ass – he is more determined to limit our capabilities……………we couldnt find a West Indian to fill that slot – other teams would never put a west Indian in such decision making position in their cricket.

In reply to birdseye

Yuh listening to newstalk or watching the live stream?

In reply to birdseye

The world has changed you know. People work all over the world in positions of authority and people challenge their viewpoints without basing it on their origin and ethnicity.

And this is about fairness also.

Is it fair to throw the regional players, the ones who played in the local tournaments, aside when the t20 'stars' return from serving their non Caribbean teams?

In reply to sunfish

What if the regional players failed to kick down the door of selection with strong performances and demand to be picked?

In reply to birdseye

As I recall, there was no slot to fill prior to Tricky Dick's arrival. The position of Director of Cricket was created for him by Dave.

By the way, sources tell me that Tricky Dick tried to get the two WICB presidents who preceded Dave to hire him and both politely declined.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Then those will be the first ones dropped. But we need to get beyond this atmosphere of recrimination and victimization.

In reply to Commie

You would have thought so – wouldn’t you? Interlopers of a certain persuasion has always occupy a positions of privilege in our midst – and it just seem like we can’t help providing a perch for such folks – even when they are not in position to command such……..look around the world’s cricket hierarchy and name how many of WI persuasion is so privileged with the patronizing influence of Mr. Pybus -

In reply to sunfish

This is not a matter of fairness – it’s a matter of who our best players are-

In reply to birdseye

I don't get your angst.

Do you have any proof that WI origin peeps are aiming at that role ? Fwiw its a shitty role with stints in all kinds of dodgy situations in places like Pakistan. Money is not everything.

Your reaction is very defensive.

This is getting Curiouser & Curiouser
every day . There seems to be a disconnect some where , and it demands an answer .

So let us start at Cameron & Co , begging the Region Governments to
assist them in hosting the upcoming International Tour Matches .

Imagine the Gall , to do this after snubbing the Regional Governments
request to implement the recommendations of the Patterson Report which like other Reports before stated that there must be serious Structural changes .

To add Insult to Injury Cameron & Co , immediately after ignoring the request of the Regional Governments
commissioned the Wilkin Report , which was then swiftly discarded .

The Field Marshall Pybus declared that the WICBC has a selection Policy
and it is not going to change . Neither is the WICBC current 89 years old Structure .

To be continued .

What exactly is wrong with a Policy that requires your senior players to play in domestic competitions that will allow the younger players to learn from them?

Continuation .


So The WICBC wants assistance from the
Regional Governments , Assistance generally means MONEY .

But on the other hand , Field Marshall
Pybus states that there is not going to be any change in the current selection Policy .

So as a result our best Players are ineligible for selection to play in Matches . Obviously this means that
the attendances at Matches are not going to be Stellar .

My perspective is that the WICBC is going to lose money , but it does not care , because IF that money may be
what the WICBC gets from the Regional Governments .

In essence Cameron & Co want to get
their hands on Taxpayers Money , refuse to select the best Players , and expect to make money .

I smell a RAT , what Cameron wants to do is to take the Governments money , and then state that they will rescind their policy ,then they will select the best Team to play .

When it comes to deviousness , Cameron makes Machiavelli look like
a Choir Boy . So in the end it will be a WIN- WIN situation for the WICBC .

In reply to POINT

Where did teh WICB say they want assistance from regional governments?

They requested clearance to play the games is certain countries, that is all.

In reply to POINT

You, Point(less) represent the contradictions on this forum. You are like Rumpelstilskin, making an absolute pappyshow of yourself in your misguided hate for something you have shown no understanding. On the one hand you preach that "the WICBC must organize for the players to play more of the longer versions of the game; that is only by playing more of the longer versions of the game that they can build their concentration and fitness levels". Those are your daily rants. yet, today, you demand that the same WICBC should pick players to play ODI's even if some of them have not played ODI's in ages.

Don't you believe in your own advice? Doesn't ODI's require a higher level of fitness and concentration levels? Tell me, when last had Darren Sammy played a ODI game for St. Lucia or Windward Islands? When last did he play a 4 day game? And on what basis would you pick him? Chris Gayle has not batted for more than 50 balls in such a long time, and is struggling to concentrate beyond that; how could you and others in any logical sense fight to pick these guys? Your hate is blinding you.

In reply to Besar
batty bwoi stop drooling all over Cameron

In reply to Babylon

Some times it is necessary to ignore the JackAsses who relish drinking the Kool Aid that the Worst International
Cricket Board in the Commonwealth , aka ,the WICBC is peddling .

Every time the WICBC talks about assistance , the word assistance
means Money . Or the free use of Public Facilities .

I find it very ,very interesting , that Cameron & Co can snub the Regional Governments , and then crawl
back to the same Regional Governments
for assistance .

The Regional Governments need to tell Cameron to go and fly a Kite . It is time that Cameron gets cut down to size . Also Field Marshall Pybus . Their demise will soon come , mark my words .

Once again the onus is on the Regional Governments to stop this Run
away Train by taking the WICBC to Court . Not doing that means that Emperor Cameron & his Brigands will
totally destroy Cricket in the Region .
I believe that there exists a compelling case to jettison the 89 years old Structure of the WICBC .
What is needed is the Regional Governments to summon up their testicular fortitude , and bring a case against the WICBC .

In India , the BCCI & the States Cricket Associations , are being verbally slapped around by the India Supreme Court , regarding their refusal to change their Structure ;
their refusal to be Transparent & their lack of Accountability .

THE BCCI & the WICBC are like Twins regarding , Structure ; and Total lack of Transparency & Accountability .Interestingly the International Cricket Cabal is no where to be found in the Indian Court .

Some believe that the ICC has more power than the Court , but that aint the case . The Supreme Court in India has mabe it very clear to the representatives of the BCCI & the State Cricket Associations , & their Counsels , that :

THEY CANNOT HIDE UNDER A FIG LEAF

STATING THAT THE ICC STATES THAT

GOVERNMENTS CANNOT INTERVENE IN

CRICKET .

The Supreme Court in India seems to be in no moody to hear such Nonsense . One would have expected the Great ICC to be in Court defending the BCCI
Et Al , but the ICC is no where in the Supreme Court of India .

In reply to VIX


Indeed...now that I've watched the West Indies in the World T20 champs, my interest in the Windies can take a back seat until 2020.

Pybus's selection policy will ensure that only a B team is selected, and nuff licks waiting for that team....

Bring on the CPL!

In reply to anandgb

Because it's a policy that prevents your players maximizing their income and playing in the overseas leagues to gain quality experience against the best...experience which won two world cups.

In reply to anandgb

Has this historically been the case? If not then why now?

In reply to Commie

True

No – but I dont believe that aside from maybe a proliferation of melanin – that our population is that different others or less desirous of such employment challenges, especially when the perks are not all negative.
In other words – we have Caribbean people who woulda and coulda do de job, and further more woulda jump at the opportunity – given the chance.

In reply to Babylon

It is good to stick to what you know best, nobody could fault you for that, except that this is a cricket forum, and cricket is being discussed. Now you can go elsewhere and join your colleagues with whom you engage with in that business/act of sewerage disposal. I am fundamentally not interested in that kind of stuff.

In reply to POINT

Why everybody who opposes you is some puppet of the WICB? I am as far away from the WICB as one can possibly be, as well as I have no connection with any player. What I have is a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge, having played the game for several years. I have been involved in planning organizing competitions for many years, not only cricket, but soccer, netball and track and field. What I know best is a windbag or a blowhard when I hear one. When I say my little bit here, it is because I know what it is to be condemned by those who do nothing and will never do anything but continue to blow hard, and in this social media age today, some of you get carried away. The WICB may be disbanded, and what would people like you say when you notice that the new entity has no effect on improving our cricket. You have put all your eggs in one basket, not realizing that Caricom basket is full of holes. Maybe, if you read a little more you might be able to figure out things.

If I was you and others on this forum, I would have encouraged the guys to make themselves available for some of the regional ODI's and PCL matches, not just to make themselves available, but to help keep themselves in shape to manage their IPL performances. Look at Sammy; a player with such limited cricket ability needs to play all the cricket he can to keep fit and to maintain whatever levels he would have attained so far. As soon as he got dropped he resigned from everything and just concentrated only on those T20 stints all over the world. Don't you think that Sammy would have benefitted from a few overs in the PCL and the regional ODI's? That extra time on the field might have not only made him qualified for WI selection, but it most likely would have had him in better stead to perform in the IPL tournaments. His cricket has fallen so badly that he has lost his IPL contract. And if he continues to feel that his fitness and form can survive on just a few T20's, he will be shocked when the English teams run from him as well after this season, and who would you blame?

In reply to jacksprat

Yes, Brazil had a similar policy in the past. I don't know what obtains now!

In reply to birdseye

Do you believe that Dave Cameron and the Board spent time trying to find someone who isn't from the region ?

Take coaches

Kanhai
Roberts
Dujon
Logie
Harper
Marshall
Bennett King
John Dyson
Otis Gibson
Phil Simmons

Cleg the incorrigible swears that Dyson was the best WI coach and was terminated by the Board because he wasn't a yes man.

Now we come to the Director of Cricket role and at the first sign of issues you question why not a Caribbean person.

In the coaching list above all of these guys were certified coaches with intl pedigree of coaching.

Who are the WI resources who have intl experience of the same for this role or is the criteria simply that they need to be black or dark skinned, from the region and eager to do the job and intelligent enough to do it.

In a nutshell you have shown the issues this region is faced with. You cannot problem solve with that mentality.

In reply to Besar
oh dear me. Me hit a sore spot? Mek a sorry bro. I man respect batty bwoi equal. Nuff respect

In reply to mikesiva

The problem with that is that the poor results will be blamed on the coach....Pybus and Cameron won't be held accountable...

In reply to anandgb

I put your question to a 16 year old kid who knows nothing about cricket and he came up with the below answer after studying the basic facts I gave to him.

For the senior players to play in the domestic competition they will have to forgo playing in the overseas competitions. That makes no sense.

The senior players got better by playing more cricket under many different conditions, so let's break it down.

In Australia they played on fast bouncy pitches in first class facilities and rubbed shoulders with some of the best players.

On the sub continent they also had first class facilities but this time they played on
sharp turning pitches against quality spin bowling and again rubbed shoulders with some of the best players under those conditions.

In South Africa they had first class facilities and green top pitches and again rubbed shoulders with some of the best players around.

Those who are fortunate to play in the UK also had first class facilities and played in conditions where you gained experience in playing the swinging ball and where you also rubbed shoulders with some of the best players.

None of the above conditions are replicated in the Caribbean. From the information before me, playing conditions in the Caribbean are sub-par to Australia, the Sub-Continent, South Africa and the UK.

Who ever is in charge should therefore be knocking down the doors to these players to accommodate their participation in matches played in the Caribbean instead of putting rules in place to prevent them from playing.

These players would have gained invaluable knowledge and experience that they will then be able to pass on to the young players.

My conclusion is that if you take the young players without experience and put them to play in conditions they know nothing about, they will all be failures.

That my friends is from a 16 year old kid living in Abilene, Texas.

In reply to FanAttick

So the last 15 years who was accountable ?

actually Brasil had that policy once, I was told. In reply to camos


I wonder why they put that policy in the past tense.

One guess would be the Brazilian Federation listened to the voice of the people, and not
just the little voices in their heads.

In reply to Commie

When you continue banging your head against a well, someday you will knock your self out.
The WICB, needs reforming

In reply to Star

Well that Kid has more brains than many people in this Forum .

In reply to Commie

Richard Pybus > Major teams > Suffolk……….not sure how much international experience that counts for……….
Its obvious that oppressive rather than common sense decision is being made by mr Pybus - at least in tis instance

T20 is not the only overseas cricket! So if you play County Cricket you shouldn't play for the West Indies?

The selection policy is silly and will hold us back!

In reply to birdseye

Have you even looked at the list of names who coached WI and were driven to torment and despair ?

I don't know Pybus but he is a legend in South African Cricket coaching.

Surely pointing or that he played for Suffolk is of zero relevance given the names buried in the graveyard of WI Cricjet management and coaching.

Soccer/Football in 90 minutes all over the world, however is three different formats, would you pick Messi for a International 30 minutes game? I am so tired of seeing de Fcuking comparison when it don't mean shit!i agree with the WICB here.

In reply to Commie

So what would WICB have done if there was no foreigner name Pybus? - this is always the ways of ours – these are the same people who still believe in some variation of apartheid (and I am not speaking of south Africa per se), yet we trip all over ourselves to show how egalitarian we are, and to folks, who, when it comes right down to it – don’t give a FK about us, or our cricket, except, but for the aura and flair we bring to it……….

enjoy some black aesthetic negritude

In reply to birdseye


The WICB is headed by People from the Caribbean and the overwhelming trend is for leadership to come from within.

If Pybus doesn't achieve the goals set for him then he will be released however I don't see anything to warrant alarm.

Even the issue of eligibility he was consistent on in South Africa.

If people like you can't get over the ethnicity of someone like him it beggars the belief why you tolerate living in societies where the dynamic speaks to much greater issues than this.

In reply to birdseye

Have a read.

Interview

In reply to Commie

I am not questioning whether Phybus is an intelligent capable man or not. The bottom line is that somebody had to give him the chance to demonstrate that he had those capabilities…he didn’t just parachute in loaded with all that experience to start………..there may be many Caribbean folks around with abilities and capabilities matching or exceeding those of Mr. Pybus – the point is we will never discover them, because, unlike Mr. Pybus nobody is willing to give them a chance………….it’s interesting – I just saw segment on the news this morning that Asian college applicants are now checking the ethnicity box for whites – the reason – even though Asians have superior academic/scholastic credentials – white applicants are being favored -------

I guess its all affirmative action – in action

those whites – they will always get to the head of the line --------only Usain Bolt have defied them so far - and that’s probably only because he didn’t have to go thru the WICB hierarchy - or college admission screening

In reply to Star

My conclusion is that if you take the young players without experience and put them to play in conditions they know nothing about, they will all be failures.

A good reason to have the experienced players play in the local competition so that they can pass on their knowledge to the young players without experience.

In reply to Commie

For someone who's highly rated in South Africa, Pybus makes some elementary mistakes in his re-modelling of our FC season. He's an Englishman, so he should know that England's FC season runs alongside their home international series (May-Sept). That way, FC players are playing cricket, and supposedly in form in case they have to step in for an injured player, etc.

So, what does Pybus do with our extended FC season?

He starts it in November, and finishes it in March....

When do we play home Tests against India? In July and August.

Anyone with an iota of sense would start our season in, say, February, and run it through to July/August, taking a break, as the English do, for their domestic T20 competition. No common sense....

In reply to mikesiva

There you have it. Didn't u guys clamour for an IPL window? Now u saying close the window?

I guess you just can't win

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

Its amazing isn't it.

Commie, I noticed a tinge of compromise in your statements. If you were Pybus, what would you do?

_r

In reply to Besar... why you think we blaming anyone. My stance is you should not have to play locally to be selected. However, you got to show you should be selected. Hence you need to be playing cricket in the format to be selected to represent the senior team in that format, just not mandated to play at home, especially if the league is above ours. I think you have miss read POINT on this point.

In reply to Commie... buried by the same administrators that hired them ... No?

In reply to birdseye

the problem is that WI was a third rated before Dick in test and ODI

Wow!!! A lot of people who left the comforts of the WI to lik the white man's butt up North have serious issues with the British white being employed by the WI...

De irony!!!!

In reply to Admin


The regional sponsors both current (Nagico) and solicited want guarantees that the intl players will play regional cricket. After all, they are WI players.

If I were Pybus there are two options.

Reduce the condition from the entire season to a minimum amount of games. That is a compromise.

OR

Have a training camp and have the camp given access to media so that the sponsors can brand the camp and be associated with the camp. Attendance of the camp would act as a conditionality for selection.

Pybus had the same stance in SA. If the WICB have bought in to his message they either support him all the way or let him go.

They are all in now on the PCL so here we are.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

If Pybus chose to end the PCL before the IPL, then he's more stupid than I thought....

It's pretty obvious to even a blind man that anyone plying his trade in the IPL is not going to be interested in playing Test cricket. Simmons, Dwayne Smith and Big Bravo have retired from Tests, Russell said he's not interested (his knee), Pollard took an indefinite break from four-day cricket after his last match from Trinidad, Badree won't be picked, Narine is no longer interested in Tests, Gayle's body won't stand up to the rigours....

So, who exactly is this IPL window supposed to be luring back to the PCL and Test cricket? Holder and Carlos are the only ones in the IPL now who still play Test cricket, and Carlos only played one match for Barbados, while Holder didn't play any at all.

Using the IPL as an excuse for this nonsensical scheduling just makes Pybus look like an idiot.

In reply to Commie

Are you saying the PCL is Pybus's brainchild? I know he pushed hard for it and he and Gibson disagreed about the timing of its introduction, but I thought the PCL idea predated Pybus.

The policy, for all its tough talk, has achieved nothing.

If the objective is to ensure the best players play regional cricket that did not happen. Anyone who had an option elsewhere had moved on. Even Holder, who was denied a chance to play in Pakistan T20 cricket, ensured that he found a way not to play the FC cricket. Russel knee. Simmons retired.

Who plays invariably are the ones who do not have a chance elsewhere. That would happen even if the policy is not in effect.

This is a policy to sideline some players than to ensure their contribution in WI regional set up.

In reply to Pacy

So you're saying they would not have played anyhow yet you say the political was to keep them out?

Oh well. ..just can't win round here

In reply to mikesiva

What about ODI's?

In reply to mikesiva

All you have done is outlined that most of those cricketers are on their way out anyway ?

Which means T20 cricket is fine and dandy and anything else is stress and breakdown.

In reply to Commie... more like anything else is 75% less pay.

Again I ask, do these fellows want to be selected?

In reply to natty_forever

Ask the people calling for them to be selected.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy... no one is calling for their selection unless they qualify. We just don't think the policy should only include our FC. Well I speaking for myself and a few others I'm sure.

Example: Ravi, playing now in England, (yet didn't in our PCL), should qualify for selection IMHO.

In reply to Commie

Can't guarantee locals will play. So sponsors still not getting their way. So piss off sponsors plus screw your team. Makes no sense. It's a free market and without any real leverage it is wicb and west indies cricket suffering.

They really need to think less as bullies and more as business men. They need to use the resources they can afford to develop their league and attract better talent.

I'm sure A team and even dropped test stars around the world would come for rum, girls, sun and cricket plus would be willing to play for less than our stars. But we just allowing intra movement. WICB so backward and one track minded. Bully the players lose them after you showcase them.

In reply to tha-liner

On the flip side if they just roll over and allow five or six players to have their way then they would be allowing themselves to be bullied... still not businesslike

In reply to Kay

How is it being bullied? WICB's objective is to have the best possible international teams. It is proven that teams with the best players will generally have the best teams. So the WICB has to try to have the best players that they can make play consistently. But it is still the 'choice' of the players. You can't force anyone to play. As business persons the current situation will not yield good results for the team neither in the short nor long term.

The WICB cannot beat the free market. While any proper business would prefer to be one of choice to ensure your staff and customers choose you, WICB only knows brute force. There are simply too many opportunities for the players, and it will continue into infinity until the WICB adjusts it strategy or if they hope as per the English county that the players are banned from participating abroad (one can hope).

In reply to tha-liner

You seem to think that those guys will play forever.

The WICB remit is to build and manage the game in the Caribbean as a member of the ICC.

They get money every 9 years in the cycle not because WI players are excellent but because there is a global cricket product that people want to watch mainly on tv and mobile.

When Gayle and Bravo et al are long and gone the ICC will still be paying out tv rights.

The issues you describe aren't WICB problem. They are crickets problem.

Why do you think the BCCI do not allow player unions ?
Why do you think the ICC keep T20 out of the Olympics.

When you figure those questions out we can have a real discussion of what the challenges are.

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

I am saying this approach will never make them play.

In reply to Commie

The free market cannot be stopped. It is the way of today's world. What BCCI and ICC have that WICB does not is money. We have less resources internally and more threats externally.

What we do have are very talented players, and a wonderful paradise of islands, people and laid back culture to attract people.

The WICB cannot fight with a major part of the only resources they have. They cannot take or mandate the players' rights. Its just not the way of the modern world, it is actually illegal. This issue will continue to recycle over and over as we will always continue to develop good cricketers.

Other territories are attracting our cricketers with cash. Why cant our board use the strengths they have to attract other cricketers here. You tell me we can't get some Pakistani top cricketer, Bangladeshis, English to play in our local tournaments and rub shoulders with our players. That's what the other boards are doing with our top players. Very weird that we open our CPL to international players when all we do is improve their cricket, but where we lack in test and 50 overs the competition do not allow international players on the teams, but want to punish our players for trying to maximize earnings and improve their skills? Very backward.

WICB requires creativity and not brute force. Every player that comes on the scene will have a choice, and as the opportunities for a better life or improved conditions become available, naturally as anyone would do, some/most of the players will exploit it.

In the free market many companies are able to attract and retain talent without offering the highest salaries. The WICB must think out of the box to try to retain their top players, and to develop their local cricket in this new free market. Brute force and autocracy simply cannot work anymore. There is no longer any kind of leverage.

In reply to Commie

BCCI, ACB and ECB are rich boards and they can make decisions which other boards cannot. How many of the other boards have similar policy to WI?

In reply to Star

Well it is obvious that the 16 year old does not understand the reality or you did not teach him well.. He is saying that only a selected few youngsters will get to learn from teh stars, because only a few of them will be selected for test duties and there are only a handful of tests matches. Whereas the local competition has many many mores matches.

So which one is it necessary for the stars to play and pass on their knowledge? You have to remember that those stars did not get there just so. They rubbed shoulders with experienced players in the regional competition before they became stars on the T20 circuit. If they want to go make T20 Money that is their right, but they should not complain about the rues.

In reply to tha-liner

What free market are you talking about ?

The one that designates that 3 countries retain the majority of ICC revenues ?

Or the one that designates that T20 does not enter the Olympics because the ICC doesn't want to sub the TV rights to the IOC.

Cricket has been a monopsony. Now players can make income separate from one employer, the national boards. Thats a good thing.

However no fc cricket tournament has ever been run by a player playing T20 cricket.You don't seem to understand that Gayle, Pollard, all of these guys came from club and fc cricket and into intl colours. Every one of them.

That means that there will be more kids willing to play cricket and there will be some who will play T20 better and others who will play Tests and Odis better.

To stagger the game solely for the T20 specialists because they are winning now won't seem funny when WI stop winning T20 World Cups and the rest of our infrastructure is compromised by this need to somehow let a bunch of players who carry little or no significance to the structure of our cricket, run the show. What they are is effective role models for the ability to make an income from the game. But it doesn't change the fact that there is a rite of passage that has to happen before you can go all the way.

What happened in the World Cup T20 is exactly how it should be. They win, they get paid well, and they reset to zero.

In reply to Pacy


Your answer to the BCCI not allowing player unions is that they, the ACB and the ECB are rich ?

Both the ACB and ECB allow player unions. Now can you answer the question ?

In reply to Commie

The answer it the same. BCCI is rich and they fill their players with money enough for them not to demand a union.

In reply to Pacy

Lol.

So rich boards preclude unions

In reply to Commie

Rich boards can push third age a easily. Money does play a big part. Did Cameron and hinds just side track the senior players by giving a retainer worth a few thousands? When poor WICB can sabotage easily richer boards can decide how they want to operate

In reply to Pacy

The WICB can sidetrack the seniors because they have no history of performance in either Tests or ODIS.

It isn't rocket science you know.

In reply to Commie

You're missing my point...which is that any sensible director of cricket will have his FC season running alongside his home Test series.

There's no excuse for ending the FC season in March, and playing home Tests in July-August.

The FC season should be running alongside your home Test series.

Talk about appeasing IPL players is nonsense....

Is West Indies cricket a business, if yes, what branch of business is it, could it be classified as sports and entertainment, if the answer is again yes, then who are the headliners, in other words, “a who the people dem waan fi si?”........or are fans inconsequential……if so - then why not play in a closed arena

I know when a concert is advertised – the well-known stars gets top billings and are used to sell the shows………..In all cases these stars earn their billings - ---- don’t cricket stars bring people into ballpark anymore……..ofcourse you bring along some undercard performers who you hope will someday become headliners……….but until then………..who wants to go see a bunch a neophytes against professionals

All these dull dictums by ego-trippers with their “father knows best” absolutism we can do without - it's not a fiefdom dem running

Here in WI cricket, the headline cricketers are treated as if they obtain their star status by promotional gimmickry -

In reply to birdseye

You are advocating anarchy then. The rule has been in place for a long time. Why change it now? especially for a bunch of non performers at the test and ODI levels?

Apart from Gayle have you looked at the stats of the others?

It's not Tests that are the immediate problem! We are ranked 9th in ODIs and Bangladesh is ahead of us! We will miss out on the next global tournament next year the Champions Trophy.

Yet we have a selection policy where our T20 players who just won the world title cannot play in ODIs.

Really what does such a selection policy achieve? T20 leagues are here to stay, so it its about Bravo, Pollard, Simmons, now......but tomorrow it will be Holder, Brathwaite, etc. tomorrow. Holder already tried to play Pakistan T20 and was denied by the WICB, but this is just how it started with the Senior Players.

It doesn't matter where your experienced players play, whether home or abroad! Pick the best team for International events!

In reply to Commie

Awesome idea,
I thought about number 1 and figure that can work because you are asking them to play a minimum number you ain't telling them they have to play all.

In reply to tha-liner

Never looked at it that way.
So now another option for us to move pass this impasses
Cause one thing for sure if we don't fix it now, and hoping that it goes away when the current 'stars' retire, is futile thinking.

In reply to positiveg

Very good suggestion of inviting foreign players to play domestic cricket if building the quality is the goal.

It's not good enough to say because we always had a policy we must always keep that policy.

We need to keep evolving and ensure we remain ahead of the the game and not behind.

In reply to positiveg

Very interesting information that...information taken from a comment on cricinfo.

Pybus..get out some more and see what other teams are doing to be successful

In reply to DIEHARD

Our fans need to get out more too. They would rather put down our own...

In reply to DIEHARD

Pybus was brought here to undermine WI cricket and make sure it does not regain the dominance it once had in world cricket – at least in the foreseeable future…..doses that makes sense?..........hell yes! Pybus is no altruistic traveler – he is a disguised saboteur

In reply to birdseye

You damn right it does.

The "scheme" started by Hunt (with approval of the others in cluding "the dodgy one")

....is to get us into Tier 2....

...where they would have even more "control".