Two sides of West Indies cricket are unfolding simultaneously,
both revealing deeply contrasting images. Put those images side by
side and consider them carefully and perhaps you will see the
possibility of a completely new picture emerging dialectically.
One image is that of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and
its tiresome and repetitive crises. Financial disarray, contract
disputes, shabby personnel relations, poor marketing, accusations
of dictatorships and croneyism ? a constant maelstrom of
discontent.
It has been very interesting hearing all the different
perspectives on the Stanford 20/20 cricket tournament currently
underway in Antigua, both positive and negative.
However, whatever side of the fence you sit on, the tournament
has made its mark and there will be tremendous interest come the
final weekend of the tournament 11-13th August. Never has there
been so much at stake (financially) in any sporting event in this
part of the world. Say what you like, this cannot be a bad
thing.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) says reports of its state
of bankruptcy have been greatly exaggerated.
Reacting to a CMC Sports
report that it's depending entirely on profits from the 2007
World Cup to stave off bankruptcy, the board said the financial
statement cited in the news item includes results of both the WICB
and its 100%-owned World Cup subsidiary.
After what must have seemed an eternity on the sidelines, young
fast bowler Ravi Rampaul enters a positive episode in his cricket
career. He is to train at the Australian Cricket Academy in
Brisbane for a month as part of the Australian Sport Outreach
Programme.
For Rampaul, who came on the scene a couple years ago and
aroused interest with his passion and performance, the shin
injuries that afflicted him repeatedly were a dreadful blow. Forced
to sit and squirm while the West Indies continued searching for
quick bowlers, he must have felt like Ian Bishop did when he too
spent an agonisingly long period wondering if he would ever play
cricket again.
Hosts Guyana will face the Leeward Islands at Everest from
August 8-10 in their opening match in the 2006 TCL regional
uunder-19 three-day cricket competition while defending champions
Trinidad and Tobago face off with Jamaica at the Test venue
Bourda.
Barbados, the runner up for the last two years, will battle the
Windward Islands at the Police ground in the other first round
encounter.
