They Do, We Don't

(Barbados Advocate)

Well boy, I see the English cricket team win another Test match against we. The last time them English fellas win two Test matches in the Caribbean, Noah was building the Ark. Now all of a sudden we hearing talk that, look sharp they gine lick in we tail in de next two matches ? in other words, they gine win all four Test matches ? a clean sweep.

And the way how them English fellas playing and the way how we playing, it ain't nothing to doubt. Them English boys look hungry to win, we don't. Them English boys look like they does bowl with a plan, we don'?t. Them English boys does set fields with a plan, we don't. Them English boys understand the history of the game, we don't. Them English boys understand the importance of the game to Caribbean people, we don't. Them English boys understand what it would mean for them to win a Test series in the Caribbean, we don't.

So all the signs seem to be pointing in the wrong direction. Plus, we got a way of breaking records, and of course we does be on the negative end. Just dig up any negative cricket record and we does go out of the way to break it.

If you hear Tony Cozier talking 'bout a batsman coming out to bat and making laughing sport saying that the last time the fella score more than ten runs was bout six years ago, I would bet you anything that at close of play that same man gine be seventy something not out, and bright and early next morning he gine record his first Test century. It does always happen against we.

We only got to hear that no team in Test history ever lost the first five wickets without a run on the board and you could argue that come next Test match we ain't gine only lose five, we gine lose another one making it six just to make sure we got the record. It might sound far fetch, but that is the way how we cricket does look to Caribbean people.

And every time we lose a match Lara does recite the same thing, 'bout he putting this one behind him. I would really like Lara to look back over his shoulder and see what he has put behind him so far. Guess what Lara, the trailer full of garbage, it falling out on the streets and stinking up the place. There is no more room to put things behind there.

I ain't shame to tell you, in the second innings of the last Test match in Trinidad, it did look like Lara did frighten to come out and bat. All this talk 'bout Ridley Jacobs coming in before him was a tactical move might be true, that is if the tactic was that Lara did not want to face the English bowlers.

Whatever the tactic was, it didn't go down well with me. No real man don't send his wife to fight his wars. As a captain you got to show leadership qualities, if you are one of the best batsmen in the world, then you have to lead from in front, not stand in a pavilion cowering.

When the batsmen clicking but the bowling ain't working, a bowler does get drop. Still when the bowling clicking but the batsmen ain't doing anything, a bowler does still get drop. Sarwan ain't look like he know where his next run is going to come from, but they ain't gine drop him. If they gine drop a batsman right now it gine be Dwayne Smith, poor fella.

And I see that Skerritt finally decide to resign as team manager. Last week he was quick to talk about accusations of indiscipline in the team being grossly exaggerated, now this week he still ups and resign talking 'bout he can't get the fellas to understand the importance of cricket to Caribbean people. All these fellas does do is spit up in the air and let it fall down in their face.

If you know you have fellas in the team who don't give a damn, well get rid of them. We losing with them, so we might as well lose with fellas who care. Changing managers every minute ain't gine help. The fellas in the team have to be accountable for their actions. If every time you screw a bulb in a socket the bulb blowing, stop changing the bulbs and look at the socket.

We does put on we shoes first and then try to put on the socks. Every single body know that Pedro Collins should have been in the first Test in Jamaica, every body except the selectors. How could they make such an obvious and glaring mistake? It means that them ain't ready yet either.

However, ever the eternal optimist, I still ain't giving up. I still feel that we gine bounce back. We does play better cricket when the series all but over; we does save the best for last.

So I gine give you my team for the match here in Barbados next week: Devon Smith, Chris Gayle, Chanderpaul, Lara, Ryan Hinds, Dwayne Smith, Ridley Jacobs, Ian Bradshaw, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, Pedro Collins and Sarwan 12th man. See ya.

* SOURCE: Barbados Advocate.