There are three standards of cricket in this world. There is the high standard of South Africa, Australia, India, and New Zealand. There is the weak standard of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, and there is - not those in between like England and Pakistan - but those who are seen as average, or mediocre like the West Indies.

Once upon a time, the West Indies were the kings of cricket, the rulers of the game, the team that was rated as possibly the world's greatest ever cricket team.

They were better than teams like Don Bradman's all-conquering Australians of 1948, or Ian Chappell's men of the 1970s and especially 1974 and 1975.

It has been a long time since those days of greatness and it appears as if the return to those days, or anything close, is a long way off.

In fact, based on the revelations of the basic weaknesses as exposed by Australia recently, and by others earlier, including England, India, New Zealand, and South Africa, it will take a long, long time for West Indies cricket to get back to those halcyon days.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

The question that must be answered that Becca did not address are the following :

WHY IS IT THAT OUR PLAYERS ARE NOT

FULLY COMPETITIVE AGAINST PLAYERS ON

TEAMS RANKED ABOVE OUR TEAM ?????????

The fact is that our Players are playing less Cricket than their Counterparts on Teams ranked above our Team .

If Becca took the time & effort to look at the Stats of Players on Teams ranked above our Team and then compared them to the stats of our Players he would realize , as I have stated often in this Forum is very Stark .

The obvious results of this disparity tangibly demonstrates that
in order to be fully competitive our
Players need to play more Cricket in all formats of the game ; at the highest level of the game in the Region .

This is compounded by the fact that
the standard of Regional Cricket is
to put it mildly Piss Poor . The
recent Tours by England & Australia to the Region amply demonstrated this fact .

WE are so beaten down by the paucity of winning a Series , that We have to jump up & down when We win a match .

The International ranking of our Team in the longer versions of the game is #8 , which means that our Players & Team are Bottom Dwellers .

In the shortest version of the game our Team are ranked # 4 . The difference in these numbers is due to the fact that the longer versions of the game cruelly exposes the deficiencies of our Players Skills in the key components that separates Winners from Losers .

The longer formats of the not only require talent , which our Players have , they require skills that can only acquired by playing a lot of Cricket in those versions of the game .

To be Continued

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

CONTINUATION :

These skills which are very vital in the longer versions of the game are:

DEDICATION ; STAMINA - MENTAL &

PHYSICAL . CONCENTRATION IN ALL

ASPECTS OF THE GAME FOR LONG PERIODS

THE ABILITY TO BUILD AN INNINGS ; THE

ABILITY TO FORGE FRUITFUL

PARTNERSHIPS ; ETC .

Now the Onus is on the WICB to increase the duration of the matches Schedules in all versions of the game . Camps must be at least 2 Weeks . Warm up matches must also be of at least 2 weeks .

Now I am fully aware of the fact that this is going to cost money , however if the objective is to make our Players & Team the best in the World :

MONEY MUST BE SPENT TO ACHIEVE

THIS GOAL . THERE ARE NO SHORT

CUTS .

The fact is that talent by itself aint going to win Series , and the necessary components needed to win a Series aint sold anywhere ; the only method to acquire those skills is by playing a lot of Cricket , there is no other way .

The point is this , if those in the governance of Cricket in the Region are not prepared to do what I have stated our Players & Team will be Bottom Dwellers in International Cricket FOREVER .

It is that Simple . It is therefore incumbent on those in the governance of Cricket in the Region to seek Financial Sponsors inside & outside the Region . Failure to make a concerted effort to do this , will inform me that those in the governance of Cricket in the Region are not very serious persons .