Didnt the West Indies Cricket Board elect a new president?
The old master - 'Maas George' – George Headley established a technique that would serve him well throughout his illustrious career, and as a consequence, it brought him lots of runs. It was simply, "see the ball early, but play the shot late."
The not so newly elected West Indies Cricket Board president Mr. Dave Cameron has now been in office for well over 100 days. And in cricket parlance, he should now be seeing the ball "big." If he's not seeing it, then this might mean that the new ball has been taken, and that he's now "sniffing leather". Because, in back-to-back Test series against India and New Zealand, that's exactly what his charges on the field have been doing.
For those two tours, the big media houses – the biggest and most dedicated – ESPNCricinfo, and the slighter lesser, and probably less globally read Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica Observer, the Trinidad Express and the Trinidad Guardian, have all been upping their ante as to what has been going on both on and off the West Indies cricket field. Media houses these days, especially the virtual ones, have a real-time feed back system. In that a writer, through the 'comments' section, can get instantaneous feedback as to whether he or ser, is making sense, or nonsense. And if one perused those 'comments' feedback-loops for the aforementioned news outlets when articles on West Indies cricket are published, one gets the distinct impression, by the lack of disagreement and dissent, that those writers critical of West Indies cricket – both its administration and its players – are right on cue.
Modern-day business-savvy businesses, use these free feedback loops, to - depending on the feedback - either maintain their product-quality, tweak it, or completely revamp it. But the point is, this feedback is used. It is therefore mind-boggling that despite the publicly-endorsed calls for whole-sale changes in the ways that West Indies cricket is administered there has been virtually no changes effected, to effect change. Mind-boggling yes, because in 'business-speak' these days, anything and everything is likened to either a, "product or a brand." There is the, "West Indies cricket product," and there is, "the Jamaica brand." In fact, the young, brash supposedly business-savvy Mr. Cameron, if I am not mistaken, spoke in his manifesto of, "making West Indies sport the most profitable sport in the Caribbean," and also, "improving the West Indies cricket product."
At first glance, if I were his advisor, I would say, "Mr. President, you have it backwards. You have put the cart before the horse." Because, how can a product be profitable, if it is not first palatable? And at the moment, the current West Indies cricket is not close to even being palatable. In fact, it might be closer to being poisonous.
True to form though, and in an unbridled quest for money, the West Indies went for the 'cheese' by agreeing to a hastily-arranged two-Test match series in India, for which, they were unprepared. As the saying going, 'easy-cheese' is found in one location and one location only – a rat trap. And to the West Indies, India proved to be just that. They collected their money, but were cruelly exposed. The president must have been satisfied with his, "cricket product," because if he weren't, one would think that he would have then - if not call for some tinkering- make some statement like, "this will not continue on my watch." Instead, to the dismay of many in the public, and among their stakeholders, the president's silence suggested, "full steam ahead (to New Zealand)."
Not to the surprise of many, the West Indies were again hammered in New Zealand in that three-Test series, and the silence of the president, is still deafening. No change to coach; no change to selectors; no change to travelling back-room support staff. In fact, there has been virtually no change to anything. And if Mr. Cameron's administration were to be summed up, that summary would read, "same speed." More baffling, is that there have been no words of inspiration emanating from the not-so-new WICB president, to calm frayed nerves. In fact, with icebergs left, right and center ahead, Mr. Cameron seems to-date, to have taken a hands-off-the-wheel approach to matters of import. And there's now, no telling where West Indies cricket will end up.
The on-field play is still in a nosedive; replacement players still can't be dispatched in a timely fashion; the back-room staff is still too heavy; in fact, it has been augmented by two - by the travelling of two team selectors; there are still no reports made public of on-tour shenanigans, despite the media adjunct being increased to three. Soon no cricketing country of any worth or world standing, will want to host the West Indies, because the gate-pull to see West Indies play, is now virtually non-existent, and dwindling.
Mr. Colin Croft in the newspaper - Trinidad Guardian, recently called for a transparent and public investigation of that sordid lot. In addition, it might be prudent to call in Harvard Business School. Because this pitiable failure of men, management, and vision would make an excellent case study on how not to run a railroad.