Who's to Blame for WICB Blunders?

Once again, the WICB publicly embarrasses itself. The naming of Sulieman Benn in the 30-man preparatory World Cup squad raised quite a number of eyebrows among West Indies fans. It is not that Benn is not a good bowler, he certainly is a good spin bowling all-round prospect for the future. The eyebrows hit the roof because Barbadian Benn had recently faced the Disciplinary Committee of the WICB and was fined for indiscipline while on the Windies 'A' Team tour to England and Canada.

Subsequently, after a club fight, he was dropped from the Barbados national training squad and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) arranged for the young prospect to undergo "professional counseling and mentoring". So Sulieman Benn was fined for indiscipline on a West Indies tour by the WICB and then removed from the list of players who stood the chance of representing Barbados in regional competitions. This is followed by him being mysteriously named on a senior West Indies 30-man World Cup training squad. This is not a 2007 World Cup squad mind you but a squad for the only months away 2003 World Cup.

The BCA had all right to be as blue as the Barbados flag with anger. How could the WICB slap them silly, like bullied school boys by naming Benn to play for the West Indies when he could not even represent Barbados and was only weeks ago fined by the very WICB for indiscipline?

Then chief selector Sir Viv Richards drops a virtual bombshell on the WICB public relations consultants, saying he 'did not know' of Benn's ban. Now some are saying that Richards ought to be forgiven, fair enough. The man, great with a cricket bat as he was is no psychic. He has been traveling across the world fulfilling his duties as chief West Indies selector and other engagements. It is within reason that he could have missed the Benn affair. Though during the 80s his performance with a cricket bat made us think otherwise, he is only human. His fellow selectors Joey Carew and batting great Gordon Greenidge should take the brunt of the blame as they were both in the Caribbean when Benn's ban was announced.

True. Could these men, tasked with naming the players who will represent us as a region on cricket fields across the world be so disinterested in West Indies cricket that the widely publicized Benn episode escaped their attention? Silly as it is, not even these two gents, should take the lion's share of the blame for this one. They, after all work for the WICB who are paid to manage the affairs of West Indies cricket.

Okay, so they had one beer too many as they mulled over the 30 names and Benn's ban escaped them. But there were several channels through which the information had to pass before it eventually got to the public. First it had to be conveyed to the board itself. Did it miss everyone there that a man who could not make his country's team may be going to the world cup? Evidently it did. Okay, so they are all inept where cricket is concerned at the WICB and did not realize the implications of naming Benn in the 30-man squad.

The information next went to the public relations czars in Barbados for final release to the media. In writing up the press release, did it miss the very folks who repeatedly sent out releases about Benn's ban that he was now on the final team? Or did they realize it but for fear of losing the lucrative WICB contract kept their mouths shut?

Then after internally realizing their unforgivable blunder the usual toilet paper attempt at cleaning up tons of spilt waste was resorted to. "(We) will seek cogent evidence that Benn has completed the counseling programme and has received clearance from the BCA before the final squad is picked for the 2003 World Cup," is what the WICB had to say. Does this board really think anyone will take them seriously after such unadulterated cow dung?

So now, either ways, the fan is spinning and the human excrement is furiously flying. This is not a wholly unfamiliar situation to the WICB though, by now they should be experts at making a mockery of themselves. If only our fast bowlers could stick to as steady a line as steadily as the WICB drops its pants in public, we would whip Australia in three days, similar to our demolition of the hapless Bangladeshis.

Can you imagine the absurdity of the WICB trying to manage the 2007 World Cup? In light of us not being able to communicate a simple uncomplicated decision to our very own selectors, do we even deserve to host a World Cup?