'Tell Dem Tek Dat'

(Barbados Advocate)

I must say that, like many other West Indians, I am very happy to see the way Lara and the boys finish off the Australians in the last three one-days. Not only that, but I like the way how Lara put a exclamation mark to finish off the last game on Sunday; three back to back to back sixes. Tell them tek dah!

And it only goes to show what we all know, the fellas got talent but it is just them either don?t believe in themself or them wuffless and indifferent. But when you see them boys apply themselves you does can?t believe it is the same set of fellas.

I hope that now the Sri Lankans are here that the boys don?t slip back into the same bad habits. What they need to understand is that even though it is them who out on the field, them out there playing for millions of West Indians, and when they let a easy victory slip and then walk off the field like it ain?t no big deal, it is we who does be feeling it for the balance of the week.

I certain when them in them hotel rooms watching TV after a defeat, fellas all over the Caribbean does be in rum shops arguing, catching high blood pressure ?bout the game and trying to figure how we lost it and who is to blame.

And it aint only men who like cricket real bad. Them got some women who really love the game. So that when the boys throw ?way a easy game and lef the women blue vex them don?t be in no mood for no bedroom activity later on. But let the boys win one that nobody didn?t expect them to win, be jinx babies enough does get make. That is the power that the West Indies players got on we. We don?t mind losing so long as we could see the fellas going down with a fight.

Anyhow, the Australians came and even though them win both the Test and One-Day series, them leaving with a bitter taste in their mouth. For one thing, the last Test match which we win chasing a record amount of runs is something I know Steve Waugh sorry enough it is he who gone down in the record books as the losing captain. Tell he tek dah!

Then them last three one-day matches. It is the first time in donkey years that Australia lost not one, not two but three consecutive matches to the same team. Tell them tek dah! But it ain?t only them losses that give them that bitter taste, it is also the thiefing. No no, I ain?t talking ?bout umpires, I talking ?bout how the Aussies say that going through Trinidad people carry ?way things from them left right and centre.

Bats, gloves, shoes, pads, ball guards, over $10 000 in equipment get thief, and had the kangaroos hopping mad. This is after the Aussies tell the authorities that the last time them was ?bout in Trinidad the thieves hit them for nuff stuff. And the Aussies were promised that this time around the luggage will be properly looked after.

Well if them was looking after the luggage and the fellas still lose so much equipment, what you feel wouldda happen if nobody didn?t watching it?

And to me if the Aussies didn?t ask for a thorough investigation and have the police come in, it didn?t look as though nothing wouldda get do.

For some reason I get the impression that it wouldda just get dismiss as ?one of them things that does happen?.

But what these thieves ain?t understand is what them do has tarnish the whole region. Cause the international press jump on that story like a school boy hopping a cane trailer. So it ain?t a Trini problem, in the outside world them talking ?bout them West Indians is thieves.

And when you think that we suppose to be hosting the World Cup here in the next four years, we can?t afford to have these things happening. I don?t live in Trinidad, but as a West Indian I feel bad ?bout the whole episode.

Then we had another foreign journalist writing ?bout we really need to pull up we socks if we serious ?bout the World Cup, he was talking bout the service industry.

He say nuff of the taxi men unmannerly, he talk ?bout the flight delays and when people suppose to get something for you and it take long, them don?t come with an apology, them does come like, ?It is just one of them things that happen.?

We might not agree with everything he say, but if we really serious ?bout hosting the next World Cup, you have to pay attention to everything that is being said.

Oh, by the way, when last you hear somebody talk ?bout Carl Hooper? See ya.

* Republished from Barbados Advocate.