Eligibility Rule: Wheel And Come Again

In a classic case of WICB knee-jerk policy making, the Board has re-revised its eligibility policy so that once again players must be available for the entire domestic season in the Caribbean. Originally relaxed to allow Vasbert Drakes and Nixon McLean into the side for the World Cup, the ridiculous rule was re-established after the recent Chris Gayle controversy.

Recall, gentle reader, that the Jamaican left-hander committed to playing in a double wicket tournament that fell outside the Carib Beer schedule, only to find himself short of the crease when the dates were inexplicably rearranged to accomodate a tardy India 'A'. Despite the assurances from senior Jamaica Cricket Board (JCB) people, Gayle then found himself yorked by the selectors when was dropped for the first match against Australia in retaliation.

Never an organisation to really think a policy through before issuing it, the WICB at its recent meeting in Dominica decreed that the essence of the old rule would stand in order to re-assert its control over Gayle and any other would-be professional.

Of course, this leaves Vasbert Drakes - and possibly a few others - pondering his choices. Stay in the Caribbean and hope for a contract or go back to South Africa and earn a certain income.

In theory, the eligibility rule is there to ensure that the domestic competitions run at full strength with all the big guns firing. When sponsors pay big money to bankroll tournaments, they are within their rights to expect the star players to play. However, in practice, the rule is used to exclude 'undesirables' like Desmond Haynes and to maintain the power of the WICB over the players.

The fact is that with the planned contract system for elite players and a little common sense, the strength of domestic cricket could easily be maintained. In the next several weeks 20 contracts will be awarded to the Laras, Sarwans, Gayles and Chanderpauls of the region. These are the people we most want to keep playing cricket locally, so it is a simple matter to move the eligibility rule into those contracts instead. This ensures both that the core players can earn a living and that they are present for the regional competitions.

There is really very little point in trying to keep everyone else from going abroad to play professional cricket. First, and most importantly, you can be sure that a young cricketer playing overseas in a first class competition is becoming a better West Indies asset than he ever would in the Caribbean, at no cost to the local system. Vasbert Drakes - essentially an average cricketer - is solid proof of that. It is not his blinding pace, his vast array of shots, or his staggering cricket intellect that made him such a key figure in the recent West Indies side, but rather the professionalism and experience he gained playing as a professional in South Africa. Had Drakes stayed in the Caribbean he would have been just another bowler, a little bat and a little cricketer to come and go from the senior side, if even he made it that far.

Secondly, so what if we lose some of the 'Busta Bullies'? Stuart Williams, Courtney Browne, Junior Murray, and a host of others have provided their respective regional sides with a measure of strength at the expense of the development of younger players. Look at how long we have had to search for a replacement for Ridley Jacobs while men in their mid-thirties stand behind the stumps around the region. How on earth can a Greg Francois break in the Windwards side if Junior Murray is still around?

Either let them go abroad or else let the youngster go and play cricket rather than watch cricket. It's a win-win situation for West Indies cricket.

In any case, it's not like the English, Australians, or South Africans are beating down the doors of every cricketer in the Caribbean. The truth is that as our reputation wanes - not least of all because our players aren't working overseas anymore - so to does the demand for them. At most, a small handful of players would even get the opportunity to play overseas.

But for those who do, it is a chance to get access to a cricket education beyond what is offered to most in the West Indies. Academies and elite coaches and clinics are all good things and it is a positive thing to see them in the Caribbean, but none of them come close to being paid to play cricket, and knowing that if your performance is below par you will no longer be paid.

If the WICB can be made to see reason they would drop the ill-conceived eligibility rule as fast as they can, and make Caricom citizenship and performance at a decent standard anywhere in the world the only criteria for selection. If we are ever to regain our standing in world cricket, then we must be sure that when a young player overlooked by the local selectors dominates someone else's domestics, he knows that a West Indies berth could be waiting for him.