"It's about winning, and for the people ,it's about the power of expectation."
West Indies cricket legend Jeffrey Dujon says that despite Test cricket's fall in prominence and importance, this format has too much history and tradition for it to die.
Dujon was commenting on former New Zealand captain Brendon McCallum's comments recently that this form of the game will not survive as not many countries can afford it.
The former outstanding wicket-keeper and batsman also does not think that the popular, TV-friendly Twenty20 format has enough history to totally displace the game's longest version.
"Test cricket is never going to die. Other forms of the game have got more and more popular , but no books are going to be written about the individuals who played T20 cricket. There is really very little history. So I think Test cricket will go on, and I don't think there is any danger of it dying out. There is too much tradition," Dujon told The Gleaner.
Money Factor "The other forms of the game, basically, exist because of the money they generate. So Test cricket is going to be around because no books are really going to be written on T20 or 50 overs for that matter," he added.
(CMC) – Cricket West Indies chief executive, Johnny Grave, says no decision has been taken to reduce matches for Sri Lanka’s three-Test tour of the Caribbean. Media reports on Saturday said with CWI experiencing a cash crunch, a Test was likely to be sacrificed in favour of a couple of One-Day Internationals, which would be more profitable.
“At this stage though, full tours for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are still on,” the Nation newspaper here quoted Grave as saying. “With England and India coming for international home series next year, we anticipate better fortunes.”
West Indies and Sri Lanka are set to lock horns from June 6-27, with Tests carded for Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia and Kensington Oval in Barbados.
You will struggle to find a middle-aged or an elderly Sri Lankan who didn’t admire West Indies. The Three Ws, Garry Sobers, Sonny Ramadhin, Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Larry Gomes, Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Brian Charles Lara were loved by all and sundry. Apart from being world beaters, the spirit with which the West Indies’ played their cricket earned the admiration and adoration of fans. Sadly, West Indies are no more a force to be reckoned with.
Renowned basketball coach John Wooden once said, ‘Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be.’ That exactly what happened to West Indies cricket, who thought natural talent will continue to take care of their future. There was no shortage of natural talent, but teams like Australia started beating them with extensive use of sports science and other teams followed suit. More recently a series of administrative blunders have dragged West Indies to their current mess.
Less than a week before Sri Lanka's departure to West Indies, there were fears of the series being abandoned after Cricket West Indies related their shaky financial status to the tourists. Although earlier there were fears that the tour comprising three Test matches being entirely scrapped, SLC CEO Ashley de Silva confirmed that the tour is not in danger.
"The most likely scenario is that we might reduce one of the Test matches and convert that into an ODI series. They are looking at some of the alternatives," de Silva told Cricbuzz. "We should know within the next 48 hours what exactly is happening. Converting a Test match into an ODI series will financially benefit the hosts. We are waiting to hear from West Indies to get a clear idea."
In that great 1993 coming-of-age flick A Bronx Tale, the bus driver character played by actor Robert De Niro tells his young son: “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent, you can have all the talent in the world but if you don’t do the right thing then nothing happens.” West Indies batsman Darren Bravo at 29 is an ongoing tragedy. And what makes his case even worse is that he seemingly doesn’t have it between his ears to recognize his descent, or the right people around him to pull him back.
Darren Bravo
There is a connection among Bravo, England’s Joe Root, Indian’s Virat Kohli, Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. But that connection has nothing to do with what exists above their shoulders. About ten years ago these five were seen as the future of international cricket for their respective countries. Indeed, four of them introduced themselves to international audiences during the 2008 ICC Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia – Smith, Williamson, Bravo and the tournament-winning captain Kohli. Their talent was obvious and the world was their oyster. But while Smith, Williamson, Root and Kohli have gone on to fulfil and continue to fulfil their promise, Bravo has seemingly been guided by an inactive section of his cranium and his talent appears to be wasting away.
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