Sir Viv On The Right Track
On the eve of the first Test against Zimbabwe, the memories of our first post-apartheid tour to Africa are still hard to dismiss. That time around, we were treated by the South Africans to a humiliating whitewash which sparked the realisation that something was very wrong with our cricket.
The charade was ended, no longer could there be any pretense that it was just a slump, and not something bigger and far worse. Prior to that African tour, there was a general feeling that all that was needed was some tinkering -- a new captain perhaps, a slightly different mix of players, maybe a couple new faces in the mix, and we'd be back on top.
That disaster showed that the cracks ran far deeper than anyone wanted to admit. Sadly, we continued to drift aimlessly for a few years, with no clear direction and no real idea of how to get back to the top. Poor pitches were blamed, players past their best were recycled, and confusion reigned supreme. Worst of all, no one had any idea how to stop the rot.
Enter Sir Viv Richards as chairman of Selectors.
Since Vivian Richards took over as Chairman of Selectors, we have seen a long term plan put in to place - a plan that stopped the reinventing of existing players and instead reinvented the team as a whole. We have seen the focus shift from damage control to rebuilding, and today we see the first stages of the future West Indies team coming together around a Brian Lara who looks to all the world like a leader of men. In Chanderpaul, Drakes, and Jacobs there is the experience needed to teach and mould the new batsmen, wicketkeeper, and bowlers, respectively.
The inclusion of Carlton Baugh as apprentice wicketkeeper, the appointment of rising star Ramnaresh Sarwan to the vice captaincy, and the selections of promising but raw fast bowlers speaks volumes about what this tour is all about. We are here to learn.
As fans, we must be prepared to temper our expectations, particularly with the new crop of fast bowlers. Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards are not going to become Ambrose and Walsh overnight, if at all, and we must be willing to look at them as a long term investment rather than seeking a quick return.
The fact is that while we should expect to learn how to win in Zimbabwe, the lessons farther south are likely to be much more difficult. Anyone who seriously expects us to beat South Africa in South Africa needs a reality check. Losses to Pakistan notwithstanding, this is still the second best team in the world, and they are on their home turf. Cricket should always be played for the win, but in truth merely avoiding the whitewash would be an improvement and a first step toward winning.
We should ask nothing more or less from our new bowlers than 100 percent effort and a commitment to continuous improvement. When Ravi Rampaul failed to impact the Zimbabwean second XI batsmen, immediate questions were raised in cricketing circles about whether he should have been in the squad in the first place.
That sort of reactionary response must not be allowed to manifest itself, for it leads back down the path we have already trodden. For Ravi, and the others, this tour is opening the door to a cricketing education that cannot be had in the Caribbean. It is vital that we get our young players out into the world early on and expose them to what it means to play cricket at the highest level.
The current batting lineup is further ahead of the bowling in terms of development, and we have seen some glimpses of the future in it already. Chanderpaul has plenty of cricket left in him, and young Sarwan is developing very well. The opening partnership remains troublesome, and will likely continue to be so until either Wavell Hinds commits to his transplanted role or Daren Ganga finds in himself the opening batsmen everyone wants him to be.
Christopher Gayle remains a key attraction for the fans - not something to be undervalued in the era of professional sport - but his consistency leaves a bit to be desired, and it is these rough edges that still need to be filed before West Indies cricket regains its former luster.
The road ahead remains rocky; it will have some rough spots and some will fall off the wagon along the way. But it is a road that must be followed if we are ever to stop wandering aimlessly in the desert of international cricket. It will take a strong hand to stay the course, someone whose achievements speak for themselves, and someone with the will and strength of convictions not be influenced by the shortsighted.
Keep going, Sir Viv, you're on the right track.