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Distinguished academic and cricket historian, Prof Sir Hilary Beckles, believes the “tide is turning” in West Indies cricket, and contends the excellence of the “Jason Holder generation” could lead to a revival of the former World champions.

Speaking during a public lecture series here titled Fire in Babylon: Cricket as Popular Culture, Sir Hilary pointed out that a new consciousness existed in the young generation of current Windies cricketers and as a result, they were now attempting to reconnect with previous high standards of excellence.

He also argued that the development of Caribbean society and West Indies success were intertwined and once societal issues in the region were addressed, he could foresee the emergence of a strong Windies side “in seven to eight years.”

“I believe we are now seeing our way out of this. I believe that the tide is turning. I don’t think it is empty optimism. I believe the tide is turning,” said Sir Hilary, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and former principal of UWI Cave Hill Campus.

“I believe that the current generation of young cricketers who are coming up—I call them the Jason Holder generation. I believe they are seeing the society differently.

“I’ve spoken to them, most of them are UWI students anyway. They come to the University, they are working class boys and we speak to them. All the young cricketers—Jason Holder, Carlos Brathwaite—these young men who are ready and willing to fight for us.”

 

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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Based on history, Sir Hilary might just be on the money (again).

He made similar prediction early $ammy era and we certainly have 2 T20I World Cup trophies to show for it.

Keep it going, Sir Hilary!

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Hilary should listen to this

In reply to Drapsey


"The tide is turning..."


Hmmmmmmmmmm.................


Nothing about the corner???





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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

I take most to mean more than 50% of the players?

Can anyone name them and more importantly, why is Beckles attempting to show that attending university is a prerequisite for WI success.?

But lets not be fooled, no one should take Beckles seriously.

In reply to Emir

boom !!!!!!!

In reply to Emir

He also claims that the IMF responsible for the decline of cricket in our area!

De negro knight mussee don annedda bullet proof vest

In reply to camos

In his role as VC he has to practice some salesmanship (he's always been good at it) and some big-picture framing. Cut the prof a little slack!

This is just some more of Beckles recycled crap from circa 2010

What is this guy smoking?
Is it that the "excellence" that sees us languishing at #9 in the rankings?

Here is that word "passion" again!!!
Isn't that what the Reifer- and Sammy-led star teams were supposed to have brought to the table almost a decade ago?

So now it is 8 years from 2018 before we can expect a "competitive team".
Didn't that other clown, Ernest Hillaire, promise us a star team that would have been ranked in the top 5 - "in 5 years" from 2010.

By Sir Hilary's, the Black Knight's (reparation anyone?) calculation it will have been 3 decades before West Indies will ever be competitive again!!!
A PACK OF JOKERS!!!!!

Tii much store is being set by cricketers somehow acting as surrogates for the realization of the dreams of excellence in Caribbean society. All the cricketers doing is playing a sport.

Winning a cricket match does not change the conditions of Caribbean residents, it does not make them richer or poorer, the fans might get a little excited, like ay other followers of sports teams, but it does not change the conditions for the masses.

Sir Hillary should spend more time focusing on real world solutions to real world problems in the Caribbean than the fleeting panacea of winning a few cricket matches.

IT IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT!!!

In reply to jacksprat

K-2, that synthetic weed that is driving people crazy in NY!

the Caribbean will continue to struggle as long as people like this continue to be leading voices.

In reply to camos

It has to be something more potent than that -maybe some crack cocaine

I refuse to believe that a respected academic could continue to spew such garbage without being on some kind of mind-altering drug!

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

That's the thing JackSprat, I never respected beckles since he said that Barbados boycotted the 1992 test vs SA because Apartheid wasn't officially over when everyone knew it was because Cummings had not been picked. Then going after gayle, lara and adams in the frank worrell memorial lecture, finally saying that the IMF was responsible for the demise of WI cricket. Guy is a clown and a shame to the past West Indian intellectuals like clr, manley, cesaire, girvan etc. If the situation suits his fancy enough, he would go from being a leading voice on reparations to Slavery was a choice

Is this what cricket historians do? Write tripe?

In reply to Kay

Nah, only the Hills. Michael Manly and CLR James were cricket historians and probably wrote the two most important works on WI cricket and they were never this intellectually bankrupt

In reply to Ewart

It seems that these days it aint a Corner , it is the Tide , which means that THEY are on "THE SHIP OF FOOLS",
which is becalmed in the Sargasso Sea.

Cricket in the Region will only improve if there is a total restructuring of Cricket in the Region .

This must include a Complete Restructuring of ALL CRICKET BOARDS
in the Region and NEW PERSONNEL on
these Board endowed with New Thinking
and Free of Egotistical Behaviour .

ALL BOARDS IN THE REGION MUST AGREE

THAT ONE HAND CANNOT CLAP , SO THERE

MUST BE A GENUINE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN

THOSE IN THE GOVERNANCE OF CRICKET

AND OUR PLAYERS .

The current modus operandi must be
ancient History . So also must be the
current Imperialistic Asinine Behaviour towards Our Players .