The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket
The first two days of the 3rd Cable and Wireless Test between Australia and the West Indies saw contrasting moods between the visiting fans and the home crowd. Enthusiastic West Indians who made the pilgrimage to Barbados watched glumly as the visitors plundered some mediocre bowling on an insipid pitch. For the very vocal Aussie fans it was a very different story, as they enjoyed the sun and cricket and perhaps more than a bit of rum.
Back on March 31, when the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced its big housecleaning, a move that included the choice of Bennett King to take over from Roger Harper as head coach, president Wes Hall made a huge deal about Gus Logie understudying the more qualified Aussie.
It all sounded so good at the time. There was a long term plan, we were told, for Logie to work as King's deputy and assume the job in a few years time. It didn't matter that the position of assistant coach was never advertised or that the Harper-Dujon tandem had an ugly ending. A loyal West Indian man was being groomed and we applauded the board for finally getting something right.
Australian captain Steve Waugh fears for the future of West Indian cricket unless Caribbean curators stop producing lifeless wickets.
Waugh and Australian batsman Justin Langer said the flat, slow wickets served up in the opening two Tests had forced fast bowlers from both teams to toil for relatively little reward.
Legendary West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding believes young pacers Jermaine Lawson and Tino Best should be included in the West Indies team for the third Cable & Wireless Test match against Australia starting Thursday at Kensington Oval.
"I am hoping they will play (both) Best and Lawson in the starting 11 in Barbados. They are the two quickest men in the 14 that they have selected," Holding told the Antigua Sun newspaper.
I have stated here before that there needs to be a total revamping of West Indies cricket, from the board of directors right down to the cricket operations. By cricket operations, I mean all aspects of cricket -- on and off the field.
The current West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is antiquated, unwieldy and just plain useless. It badly needs to be restructured and run like a modern day corporation to ensure accountability and coordination at all levels. Where there is accountability, there will be positive results. Where there is coordination, there is less overlap and less waste.