My Recipe to Fix W.I. Cricket

I was very surprised recently to be invited by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to attend their cricket retreat. But what I found more interesting and surprising, for a person who was purposely shut out of Guyana's cricket, was that I was invited to discuss the redevelopment of Guyana's cricket along with various other cricketing related issues.

Unfortunately, I did not attend the retreat. Even though the topics of discussion were of great importance to me, I could not bring myself to attend because of my principles.

The GCB and its parent West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) are jointly in violation of the ICC code of conduct which emphatically and clearly states, "no cricketing administrator should be involved in gambling". In spite of this, the Guyana board president owns and operates betting shops, which is a clear breach of the ICC code. Being aware of that truth, I could not knowingly violate that rule, for the game has done an awful lot for me.

Now that I have cleared the air about my absence from the aforementioned retreat, I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to comment on the current disrepair that has befallen West Indies cricket. Over the years, many cricketing pundits have written and spoken with great clarity and sincerity about the issues and problems that persist in West Indies cricket to no avail. I believe that what is absent from the numerous critiques is an historical assessment on the ascension of West Indies cricket.

How did West Indies achieve the cricketing prowess that we have come to cherish? The answer to that question is what this article is trying to excavate. I am sure that if we understand how the West Indies emerged as a cricketing power then we can reimplement some of those methodologies for the resurgence of West Indies cricket. I sincerely hope the ideas discussed in this article will create a discussion for asking the right questions for the development of West Indies cricket.

METICULOUS PLANNING

The great achievement of West Indies cricket in the past did not happen by chance; rather meticulous planning and organization by people who understood how to administer cricket development and achieve it. For instance, let us look at the development of West Indies cricket when I began playing. The task was in the very capable hands of Sir Clyde Walcott in Guyana, Sir Everton Weekes in Barbados, Ken Richards and J.K. Holt in Jamaica, and Puss Achong and Andy Ganteaume in Trinidad and Tobago. These cricketing greats were in charge of the development of cricket in the various territories because the local boards and the WICB were managed by either people who, at a minimum, played first class cricket or were former Test players.

In Guyana, under Sir Clyde's watch, the cricket competitions were uniformly organized on the sugar estates. In other words, the same levels of cricket were played and it filtered into the neighboring villages affecting all levels of cricket, from boys to seniors. These competitions were routinely monitored and evaluated by Sir Clyde and his scouts.

Similar development programs were replicated in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Jamaica. Thus, we had in existence a similar development model throughout the region under the overall auspices of the WICBC. Then, coupled with the advent of West Indian cricketers playing league and county cricket in Great Britain, we witnessed the maturation of West Indies cricket. Our cricketers were gradually transformed from cavalier cricketers to calypso cricketers and, finally, to the best in the world. A reign that had two distinct phases, the first was from 1963 to about 1968, and the second was from 1976 to about 1990.

During the last 15 or so years, nothing tangible has been done to fill the void that occurred due to the collapsing of the regional development model and the low participation of West Indian players in the English league and county cricket. In my opinion, and this is not an ad hominem attack, the WICB has done nothing to improve West Indies cricket.

Taking into account the amount of cricket that is being played, if nothing substantive is done, we will be used to seeing Test matches ending prematurely in three days -- as a norm instead of being an exaggeration.

BACK TO BASICS

We must go back to the basics! The WICB must initiate and develop a cricket developmental program that must be adopted by all its member territories. The program must have short and long term components and, more importantly, it must be developed, implemented and evaluated by former West Indian Test cricketers. Why, one may ask, am I so emphatic that only former West Indies cricketers should be in charge of the program? Well, if we are to look throughout the cricket world, former West Indies cricketers were responsible for the development of cricket in South Africa, Sri Lanka and England. Yet, very few youngsters in the West Indies can say that they have had the opportunity to play with and be coached by any of the West Indies cricketing greats.

What West Indies cricket does not need is cricketing assistance from other Test playing countries, for our brand of cricket differs from the rest of the world. We're like Brazil in terms of football and, to top it off, we have many capable hands. What is most needed is the utilisation of the skills available.

Before the aforementioned program can be implemented and bear fruit, certain structural changes are imperative. The first is the removal of the presidents of the WICB and its member boards. On close examination, these boards are currently stacked with an assortment of technocrats, bureaucrats and a polyglot of independent businessmen who don't have an iota of knowledge about the rich cricketing heritage of the West Indies. More importantly, they do not possess the knowledge, the foundational know-how to nurture, prepare and ultimately develop cricketers to perform optimally at the Test level.

In my estimation, these men do not bring anything cricket to the table. They come to the table empty-handed and leave with their hands full. Therefore, I am proposing that all the territorial board presidents should be drawn from our ripest cricketing minds throughout the West Indies and I hasten to say there is an ample pool from which to draw.

TERM LIMITS FOR WICB DIRECTORS

Second, the territorial representatives must have Test cricket or, at a minimum, a first class cricketing background. Also, I am proposing term limits. No member of the WICB or representatives from the respective local boards should be eligible to serve in any capacity for more than ten years. For the West Indies cricket culture dictates that the brightest cricket minds are given an opportunity in positions of leadership. To put it bluntly, every representative of the six territories must bring something "cricket" to the table.

Lastly, the selectors must be drawn from successful Test players. This applies also to the selection of the West Indies team manager. It is imperative to bring back to the managerial seat people of the caliber of a Sir Clyde Walcott, a Sir Everton Weekes, a Sir Frank Worrell, a Berkeley Gaskin, and a Jeff Stollmeyer. For their cricket knowledge would be indispensable, for young players in particular, on long tours. What we currently have in West Indies cricket are ceremonial managers who are of no use to the players.

At this juncture, I'll now like to carefully examine the WICB marketing of cricket In my opinion, the marketing of West Indies cricket is probably one of the board's most important functions. And, as I write, the performance of the WICB's marketing arm, as best, is mediocre. I come to this conclusion based on several reasons. For instance, there is not a uniform marketing plan being implemented in the various territories that is orchestrated by the WICB. Yes, I'll be the first to admit that because the WICB is comprised of a motley group of independent territories may present very unique circumstances which are present in other world cricket nations.

But I don't think our uniqueness should preclude the board from marketing West Indies cricket as one entity throughout its member territories. This is critical for long term development and sustainability of West Indies cricket. It is imperative that the board secures sponsorship for cricket, beginning at the Under-25 level to Test cricket for all its territories. This will facilitate the better organised competitions and the playing of more first class cricket throughout the West Indies, resulting in better player preparedness.

INEFFICIENT MARKETING

I sincerely believe that the monies for the aforementioned objectives can be easily procured if more ingenious and efficient methods are utilised to tap into our local economies and our affluent neighbour to the north. When one offers criticisms, he should also attempt to provide solutions. Therefore, I'll attempt to demonstrate how the WICB should be carefully studying the marketing stratagems of North American sports and trying to utilise some of the strategies that are applicable to us in the Caribbean. For sport in North America is a cash cow. I believe that cricket is a well established sport in the West Indies and is one of the few things the West Indies is known for other than tourism. If the development of our cricket is the primary agenda of the WICB, they have to start thinking outside the box, and utilising some of the gimmicks of Madison Avenue might be one of the ways to go.

In Guyana for example, the publicity of cricket is virtually non-existent. Yet we hear often about the paucity of spectators at the games. If cricket was marketed properly, there should be no shortage of spectators in Guyana. The question is how do we attract spectators that cover the entire age gamut back to the ground? Well, for starters, the WICB (in conjunction with the local boards) needs to develop programs to affect young spectators so they will always find time to go to cricket in future.

We probably need to reintroduce programs similiar to what we once had in Guyana, with the schoolboys' stand, which offered free or reduced admission for students. This was made possible by the local board working with the Ministry of Education allowing schools in the vicinity of the ground on the last day of the Test match to have half-day school so the students could attend the match. That's how many youngsters first saw a Test match and subsequently became life-long cricket fans.

Another ingredient that needs to be in place to attract fans back to the grounds is better facilities and accommodation. We need to bring our facilities up to the required international standards beginning with individual seating, preferably the introduction of bucket seats; provide fans with clean and sanitary toilet facilities, and of course, the fans should have easy access to food and beverages. That has to be done to re-attract our fan base back to the grounds.

PITCH PREPARATION

There is a need for preparation of better pitches. I could not believe that in my lifetime I would have witnessed the cancellation of a Test match because the pitch was unfit for Test cricket. This, I believe, is the consequence of interference by people who believe they know about pitch preparation, but if the truth were to be told, don't have an iota of knowledge about pitch preparation.

Now, I don't claim to be an expert, but I've had the honour of discussing the procedures of laying and preparing a cricket pitch in Mackenzie, by none other than the most knowledgeable groundsman in the West Indies, the late Bags Menses. For over 50 years Bags worked at the GCC Ground (Bourda) and also helped with pitch preparation in Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, and Barbados. One of the things that I learnt from him in our numerous conversations is compaction, that being the holding together of the soil. This is achieved based on the type of soil. For instance, in Guyana the soil has ceramic clay; in Barbados, the soil has alphaltic clay and Jamaica has Marl clay, etc. Now, for the compaction to be optimally achieved, the pitches have to be soaked. The extent of how much water is to be used comes from trial and error. Then the pitch has to be rolled with a ten-ton roller at some point. Correct me if I am wrong but I don't believe that any of the Test match venues currently utilise a ten-ton roller. Therefore, this is one thing that needs urgent attention.

West Indians have come to have high expectations of their cricket team after the glory years and, for most of us, it is very difficult to accept the abysmal performances of our current team. In my opinion, it will continue to persist if dramatic action is not taken immediately by the WICB and the local boards. I don't believe the current make-up of the WICB and its local boards are capable of assembling and integrating the proper ingredients for the resurrection of our cricket. We must do as the popular American TV reality show says: "You're fired!"

The deafening silence from our media is also saddening. For the media's scrutiny of West Indies cricket is very superficial. They always put the blame on the cricketers, but when one digs deeper, it is revealed that causes of the youngster's failure are linked directly to the inefficiency of the WICB and its affiliate boards.

That is what the media should excavate and tell the West Indian public. Yes, some of the blame falls of the youngsters but you can't succeed in Test cricket if the players are not properly prepared. West Indies cricket belongs to the West Indian people, and the media has a duty to keep the WICB's feet to the fire. Instead, the media have been at the forefront of West Indian insularity, which is extremely self destructive.

My recipe to turn around West Indies cricket in two or three years is predicated on the ascension of West Indies cricket from 1950 when I found myself gearing for a place on the Berbice team in inter-county cricket to the present moment as I write, where our team is struggling to get out opponents.

I've seen it all happen, and West Indies cricket will have to go back to where it all began by making fundamental administrative and other cricket developmental changes. We also have to change the way in which we do business. We have to adopt some of the gimmicks of Madison Avenue to promote and market our game. But we can't invite former West Indies greats to do a two-week stint here and there with the youngsters and consider that utilising our greats. At best, that would be considered insulting. I'm talking about the following:

1. The WICB must have -- out of the 12 representatives of the six territories -- at least eight persons who have played cricket at the highest level, to once again make development and the sustenance of West Indies cricket the primary focus.

2. As mentioned earlier, all the territorial presidents should be people who, at least played first class cricket.

3. Our marketing strategy should be geared to provide sponsorship for West Indies cricket from Under-15 through Test cricket.

4. Cricketing publicity must dominate the media so that the main stakeholders, the West Indian public, will give their support.

5. Create incentives to lure spectators back to watch all levels of organised cricket in the Caribbean.

6. Our territorial Test venues must be brought up to the internationally accepted standards with individualised seating, adequate toilet and washroom facilities, etc. This will only be accomplished with assistance from the WICB.

7. Make proper use of the services of our cricket greats at all levels, as was done by the other Test playing nations.

TRACK RECORD OF INCOMPETENCE

The track record of the WICB over the last 20 years or so has clearly shown their inability to properly administer West Indies cricket. When our cricket is rated with newly accredited Test playing nations like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, it is time for a change. The number of mistakes, too numerous to mention, have cast a cloud of embarrassment upon West Indies cricket fans and it keeps getting worse. For me, this means it is time for a change.

We have all the ingredients required to take West Indies cricket to where it should be. In the West Indies we have men who have contributed to the development of cricket all over the world, and who carry impeccable track records, but their peers and the WICB are not recognising them. There is an immediate need for changes to the WICB and the territorial boards in the interest of West Indies cricket.

The erosion of West Indies cricket began with an influx of persons who did not have any credible knowledge of the game in the various territorial administrations. Now that this is being realised, the reaction is destructive and is hurting the game in the region. The experience that West Indies cricket has gone through over the last twenty years is testimony to the fact and it is embarrassing. It is imperative that we get an administrative overhaul and make use of the knowledgeable individuals around the region that are cherished by all the other Test playing nations.

I understand than an Australian has been hired by the WICB to sort out the woes and ills of our cricket. I want here to submit that the West Indies cricket problems start and end with the inadequate cricket administrative knowledge; and the West Indies does not need outside help at the moment.

The ingredients needed to place the West Indies at the top of the game again can be found in the West Indies and what is also needed is a deliberate short and long-term involvement of competent personnel that are available to West Indies cricket.

* Basil Butcher played in 44 Tests for the West Indies between 1958 and 1969. During that time, he scored 3,104 runs at an average of 43.11 with a top score of 209 not out. In all, he played in 169 first class matches, scoring 11,628 runs, avg. 49.90.