Searching for the Next Malcolm Marshall

That an ordinary line-and-length-bowler in Cameron Cuffy has commanded a sustained place in the West Indies team up until now is nothing less than a firm slap in the face of the architects of the legacy of West Indian fast bowling.

That Cuffy was one half of the fast bowling opening attack of a team which once made the world buckle at the knees through terrifying fast bowling is an downright shame. More than that though, it brings to the fore (as if it is not already firmly there) the ineptitude of the WICB.

How could we not have harnessed the extensive experience and astute wizardry of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshal, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh? Was the WICB not ashamed of itself to leave Holding to advise bowlers at his own will and disposal while on tour as an analyst? Roberts on sporadic assignments? And Ambrose and Walsh when the team visited Antigua and Jamaica?

How on earth could we have an ordinary medium fast bowler (not even the fast before medium) such as Cuffy as the man to make the cricketing world buckle at its knees? Just months ago the Indian tailenders saw him as a literal feast to prop up their averages. Just ask Javagal Srinath, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan. Talk about a pitiful crash from euphoric glory to utter gloom.

Thank God for the arrival of Jermaine Lawson and Daren Powell. May many more follow. Finally the WICB seems to be belatedly getting in gear to replace the nakedness in the fast bowling cupboard. The recent fast bowling camp for the up-and-coming prospects is a relief from the blind clumsiness of the past. And the fact that the bowlers have been given strict training regiments to follow is a sign that it is more than window dressing to serve na?ve political ends as has been the case in the past.

Let us hope that the good folks of the WICB recognize that though our batting is generally in order these days that batting camps are not unnecessary. That was precisely the thinking in the 1980s which led to our 0-5 collapse in South Africa and being beaten by Australia at home after 15 years of invincibility. The young batsmen are coming through, but after the Sarwans, the Hinds, the Gayles and the Samuels who is at the next level? Are they in a position to take over if there becomes a need?

On promise, it would be a brigade of Devon Smith, Donavan Pagon, Narsingh Deonarine, Andy Jackson, Llendl Simmons, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Kurt Wilkinson and Sylvester Joseph among others. That the youngsters at the highest level are satisfying fans and chalking up pleasing scores must not engender disregard for the second-tier batsmen. Hooper is not likely to last much longer. That is one place soon to become vacant, add to that the possibility of Brian Lara and Shiv Chanderpaul being injured and the team would need a few contenders to replace them.

True Ricardo Powell and Daren Ganga are there but what if they hit hard luck? It has been said that Devon Smith is ripe for test cricket, but should it not be ensured that he does not become over-ripe and spoilt by the time he's given a break? Should he, like the others who show promise with the willow not be kept busy in the nets, continuously being examined for chinks? Is now not the time to iron these outs as recommended by the soon to be replaced coach Roger Harper? Or will we wait until Glen McGrath starts to exploit them at will? Will we find comfort in blaming the new coach then too?

The Shell Academy and specialized camps here and there are not enough. A grueling home series against Australia looms like a dark cloud ready to burst. Whether that cloud showers bountiful blessings or floods misery for West Indies cricket is up to the players and the WICB.

True that the World Cup is our primary focus now, but the young brigade ought to be letting the guys at the top know that if they slip they will surely slide out of contention. The WICB must organize for these youngsters to work together, share tricks, learn together be guided and instructed as a group.

It is all well and good to know we have a predicament in deciding who our top six batsmen will be when Lara and Hooper return but that second rung must also be contending to knock those at the top off on the weight of form and runs produced from chink-less techniques.

Jackson comes to mind as one who desperately needs specialized work to harness his swashbuckling talent into a package which can keep Test and ODI scorers busy for years to come.

Notice that I have deliberately paid no attention to the wicket-keeping issue. Volumes have been written about the need to identify and work with a core group, one of whom can smoothly assume the role when the unselfishly reliable Ridley Jacobs calls it a day. Much like Adam Gilchrist did after the passing of Ian Healy and Mark Boucher did after Dave Richardson hung up his gloves.

There is a need though to expand the development programme into all facets of the game. In fact, there should be camps, not for batsmen but separate ones for opening batsmen and middle order batsmen. These camps should include not only be 'technique oriented' but 'strategy focused' as well.

CLR James offers divine cricketing wisdom in Beyond the Boundary when he wrote, "the record breaker of the future will be a man of intelligence with an imaginative approach." Many of these youngsters are not coming from backgrounds which are cerebrally substantial in nature, therefore cricketing craftiness must be taught to them in a structured manner.

Failure to do this will result in Adam Sanford being sent crashing to the boundary by Nathan Astle five times in an over. Would you see that from Ambrose or Walsh? Holding, Marshall or Roberts? When geniuses are not born, they must be bred. The WICB must begin to breed cricketing warriors, masters in their own specific art. And when they are brought together their force must be unremorsefully destructive.

In the forgoing lies the medium term revival of West Indies cricket. This phase I believe will be the most crucial. In the immediate term though, a few creative initiatives can reward untold dividends. I shall offer one example.

Both the West Indies openers, Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds are limited players, much like Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Why then is Chanderpaul, even when he was at the stage of his career as are Gayle and Hinds, much more highly regarded? The answer is simple.

Chanderpaul knows precisely what his strengths and weaknesses are. He plays well within his limitations and forces the bowlers the bowl to his strengths. He has an incomparable mental ability to focus and be patient, waiting for the bowlers to falter and then cash in. It has been the blatant but unconquerable secret of his success. Ask John Wright, the Indian coach who helplessly watched him bat his way to the Man-of-the-Series award in the Caribbean earlier this year.

If these three players are similar in quality but the production of one far exceeds the other two, the former must be able to offer advice to the latter. Chanderpaul should therefore be assigned to work with Gayle and Hinds in improving their respective games. In cultivating in them batting patience, in teaching them to not try to be Brian Lara who they will never be. Even Sarwan, a much more gifted batsman can learn from Chanderpaul.

We have seen hints of the results of such player-to-player assistance from Jermaine Lawson taking the advice of Pedro Collins. Now imagine such a programme being structured. We must get as much out of Hooper, Jacobs and Lara before they leave. This is a cost effective and can be a prolific means by which West Indies cricket can benefit. Ask any of the players from the 80s, they will tell you it was an integral part of the team's success.

Development should not be contained to camps and academies; it can take place at all levels, in the most unexpected corners. Much thought must go into how all facets of West Indies cricket can be improved to the level which will cause the Australian Cricket Board to sign the regional team for seven match test series and not a mere four. If we relapse into the preparatory indolence of the 80s we might end up with a Cuffy-like opening batsman being knocked over in Brett Lee's first over.

The development programme, with a much necessary expanded budget seems to be taking meaningful shape. Hopefully the results will be seen in the knees of opposition batsmen, particularly those Australians.