Eighteen years on, West Indies' thrashing by Australia in the first Test in Hobart last weekend bears uncanny similarities to their predecessors' routs in all three Tests in Pakistan in November and December 1997. It is a case of the more things change, the more they remain the same in West Indies cricket.

Even several of the West Indies' main characters from the Pakistan whitewash are still involved. Clive Lloyd, then manager, is now chief selector. Courtney Walsh, the captain at the time, is selector on tour in Australia. Curtly Ambrose, Walsh's fearsome partner in pace, is the team's bowling consultant. Head coach Phil Simmons batted in the middle order in Pakistan, Stuart Williams opened. They were in Hobart as head coach and his assistant.

Grenada prime minister Keith Mitchell remains in the thick of things. After Pakistan, he was concerned enough to press CARICOM (Caribbean Community) governments to discuss the state of West Indies cricket. He now heads the CARICOM sub-committee on cricket and is the prime mover behind the recent damning Barriteau report on the governance of the West Indies Cricket Board.

read the full article at ESPNcricinfo

The ICC supports the likes of Cameron, Dainty, etc, who in turn support those running things in Guyana, the Leewards, USA, etc, and hire "yes men" like Lloyd, Walsh, etc.

After years of this, why would anyone be surprised at where WI cricket is, and is going? This won't change - just as it did not when upstart Americans threatened to become a significant international force in the game in the late 1900's.

Internationally, the game will become the domain of predominantly white Test playing countries and Test playing countries from the Indian subcontinent. It will wither away elsewhere - such as in WI and Zim.

In the Caribbean it will wither away in reverse historical order, with the Barbados-Guyana rivalry holding out the longest. Just like in the USA, the cricket grounds will survive in name for a long time, but with no one ever remembering cricket being played there.

In reply to Norm

Seriously, Norm, how would you stop the slide?

In reply to sudden
Collectively. Recognize the social role of the game - as a unifying activity in the villages and towns everywhere in the Caribbean, and from which it gathered deep-rooted support.

Hence, seek and respect the public's collective counsel. Were the Town Hall meetings successful? Nothing more was heard of them. Were they another sham to fool some, or will they be improved upon, and kept over the long term? Did anything useful come out of them, and did they influence the WICB in any way?

Work with the territorial governments, instead of hiding behind the ICC's petticoat and the convenient dogma of 'no government interference'.

One gets the impression, for a long time now, that the WICB cares not for the Caribbean people. It is viewed as an institution that primarily channels ICC money to a few, with players being the unwitting fools doing the hard work and getting next to nothing in return.

Given our historical suspicion of being exploited at every turn, most quickly resign themselves to the 'fate' of yet another exploitation mechanism sitting on our collective backs. The WICB has not done much to convince the public otherwise, with the team's performances conveniently 'proving' its critics right.

The positive (IMO) steps have been presented weakly, with hardly an effort to show the public that the WICB shares, in thought and deed, the same core values and concerns of the Caribbean people. It is as if the WICB does not even really believe in itself.

The 'slide' could only be addressed by those with the means to do so, based on the wishes of those they serve - but - therein lies the question ...

In reply to Norm

No practical solutions there, Norm

In reply to imusic

Or less Tits. Either would be a great start.

In reply to sudden

The WICB is already working on at least a couple, but seems to not truly recognize their potential to improve the state of the game in the region. It makes you wonder if these actions are mere flukes, and if they would be quickly abandoned as challenges inevitably arise.

In reply to imusic

You can't even be sure they are really Bajans these days. Even that is a confusion. Ask Warrican.
Or new keeper Rampersaud.

In reply to Norm

That is how inclusive we are. Don't forget Currency in the ODIs?

In reply to sudden

I can believe that - based on the evidence.

Were this some kind of WICB action I would have concluded 'politics' - based on the evidence.

In other words, the WICB has lost all credibility, but ... do they care? What solution, requiring WICB wilful participation, could possibly work under those circumstances?

That leaves only the 'unwilling' path.

Future is T20 and ODI Cricket.

U.S. Market is a huge potential.

Early Movers Advantage.

Caribbean Nations have a proximity head start...

WI better milk this (in collaboration with BCCI)

'As Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh powered to their record 449-run partnership in Hobart, Greg Baum wrote in the Melbourne Age that they were "bowling, instead of dot balls, slot balls, rot balls and feed lot balls".'

In reply to sudden

Letting loose the ego and assembling the best 20 players we have at the moment to represent WI and allow them 2 years of time to represent Wi.

In the mean time aggressively working on the regional cricket to improve quality and use initiatives to unearth talent. Target to infuse fresh and better prepared talent to ease into the team.

Now letting loose the ego and aggressively start development process ( not the 5 year / 10 year funda by Hillarie or Cameron) need fresh minds and leadership hat is good at working with today's youngsters

In reply to Pacy

Your evidently are asking for a
Miracle. Do You think that a Tiger has the ability to change its Stripes ???

Having Super Egos is a prerequisite
for being in the WICBC ; from its inception . Remember , this was an
Entity started by wealthy people of a different pigmentation from the current " MIMIC MEN " who are now in the Drivers Seat .