The West Indies does not lack talent in cricket but a lot more is needed if the team is to rise from the doldrums to become a respected force once more.

These sentiments were expressed by Head Coach Phil Simmons and White-Ball Captain Kieron Pollard in the aftermath of another losing series, this time in New Zealand where the West Indies lost the T20 series and Test series by 2-0 margins.

Since then, debate has swirled around the failings of the West Indies and what, if anything, can be done to bring about a reversal of fortunes.

Simmons and Pollard are of the view that a lot needs to be done administratively and by the players, if things are to change for the better.

“We are never, in the Caribbean, wanting for talent,” Simmons said in a video from CWI posted on Youtube on Wednesday.

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In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

The issues mentioned have been present since the beginning of WI cricket and have gotten worse since many countries financial situations have gotten worse. The rest of the cricket World have technically progressed and left the WI behind.

In reply to dayne

He has no comment about players flaws and how to correct them?


Yea blame the lack of facilities...that is as old as the hills. Sobers, lloyd, viv, Lara, Shiv and Gayle etc didn't have any better facilities but became world stars.

Coachability and coaching are not mutually exclusive dey Simmo

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy
Y

Apart from Shiv, all mention players sharpened their skills, by playing county, shield or world cricket.
I've only seen Sir Gary played for Police once, and that was against Pickwick at the Mecca, but he was playing cricket about 6-9 months a year.
We fool ourselves, thinking talent is all, but great players put in the work.
A number of our players are benefitting from playing T20 league cricket

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

You forgot to mention Pouty , fuzzy?

In reply to sgtdjones

I ain't fuhget

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com The old question – how do you get to Carnegie Hall – answer --- Practice, practice, practice… is still a truism ----- most of our past great cricketers never even dreamt of the fixtures, facilities and structures that current players have access to……in the old days youngsters use to practice with the same ball until the stuffing’s fell out…. I read somewhere Sobers said he use to practice by hitting a tennis ball against a wall, where the ball came back at him with all kind of unpredictable bounce…. The great soccer player Pele says he use to stuff a socks with whatever he could find – that was his soccer ball to practice ---- such players had a singular mission, they wanted to be the best possible at what they do……

Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts,

Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. - Thomas Edison

"Pollard believes the West Indies have remained in the doldrums for a long time because of a willingness to accept mediocrity suggesting that, unfortunately, it part of Caribbean culture".
pot calling the kettle black pollard is part of the mediocrity he wants to talk about.

In reply to velo

Hahahahaha

In reply to velo

Well the man has lived it – he is speaking as a practitioner of the art of mediocrity, cricket-wise.

In reply to birdseye

When it comes to winning T20 leagues I would say far from.

In reply to natty_forever

The 12th man is also a member of the champions team....

In reply to natty_forever

I am not sure if T20 qualify as requiring the skills of the traditional cricketer, T20 is more akin to World long driver (WLD) golf Championships --- a lot a muscle requirement

In reply to veloPolard is dam right mediocrity has becme part of the Caribbean culture

In reply to birdseye
You like Fuzzy and others, speak of the early development of our cricketers.
Dem days are long gone, Road, Gully, Beach Gap, side street cricket, is a thing of the past
Any youngster that plays cricket and his batting or bowling is on video, the rest of the cricketing world has access to him.
Shiv maybe the best example to show youngsters in the region, what it takes to be a professional cricketer
I doubt there an hour long video of the work, Shiv and his dad did, to make him the kind of cricketer he was.
Practice has to be a full time job, and I am not going to blame the BCA for Barbados international players, getting out the same way, match after match.

In this Forum I have perpetually stated
this fact ; despite the numerous criticisims from those who in this
Forum who Relish Defending The Worst
International Cricket Board in the
Commonwealth .

The Regional Governments need to tell
the Jokers in the WICBC , that THEY are
willing to help Financially however ,

THERE MUST BE A TOTAL RESTRUCTURING

OF THE WICBC AND ALL THE CRICKET

BOARDS IN THE REGION, INCLUDING THE

WICBC/CWI .

The salient question is this :

WILL THE REGIONAL CRICKET BOARDS &

ADHERE TO DOING THAT IN ORDER TO GET

FINANCIAL HELP FROM THE REGIONAL

GOVERNMENTS ?????????????

In essence make them an Offer , that
if they refuse The WICBC & The Regional Cricket Boards will be Stupid to reject this Offer .

BTW , as far as I am aware the WICBC/
CWI have only One Cricket Ground in
the Region , so financially it aint going to successful playing ALL the
matches in Antigua .

IT IS ,IN MY OPINION INCUMBENT ON THE

THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO SUMMON UP

THEIR COURAGE , AND START PLAYING

HARD BALL WITH THE WORST

INTERNATIONAL CRICKET BOARD IN THE

COMMONWEALTH , AKA . WICBC / CWI .

I joined this Forum 17 years ago , and very little has changed in the
THE GOVERNANCE OF WEST INDIES

CRICKET. IT IS NOW INCUMBENT ON THE

REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO SAVE WEST

INDIES CRICKET ; THE WICBC/CWI & THE

REGIONAL CRICKET BOARDS HAVE

DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY HAVE

ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF CHANGING

THEIR MEDIOCRE MODUS OPERANDI .

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
I will agree we have talent but it's raw talent that has to be honed. It has always baffled me why other Test batsmen can iron out their deficiencies but our batsmen can't. The players and the coaches have to share the blame.

The stark freaking fact regarding Our
players Competitiveness in International Cricket stems from these
2 irrefutable facts :

1. THE MANY MATCHES PLAYED BETWEEN THE

TEST MATCHES WHEN ON TOUR MADE OUR

PLAYERS GET ACCLIMATIZED TO THE

WEATHER , AND THE PITCHES .


2. THOSE MATCHES ALSO SERVED TO

ENHANCE THE STAMINA AND CONCENTRATION

OF OUR PLAYERS.

People seem to forget , that in the eras of Our Players dominance in International Cricket , WE did not have a Regional Tournament .

3 THERE WAS NO REGIONAL CRICKET

LEAGUE .

4. THE MANY MATCHES BETWEEN THE TEST

MATCHES MADE OUR PLAYERS GET

ACCLIMATIZED TO THE WEATHER &

THE PITCHES .

5. MOST OF OUR PLAYERS WHEN NOT

REPRESENTING THE REGION PLAYED

CRICKET IN ENGLAND .

Obviously this enhanced their Skills
and Stamina .

WHEN ENGLAND DECIDED TO BAN OVERSEAS

PLAYERS FROM PLAYING IN ENGLAND ,

THAT ESSENTIALLY AFFECTED THE STAMINA

AND COMPETITIVENESS OF OUR PLAYERS .


6. THOSE IN THE GOVERNANCE WEST

INDIES CRICKET DID NOTHING . THE VERY

FACT THAT THEY LACKED THE FORESIGHT

TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT WOULD

HAVE ON OUR PLAYERS COMPETITIVENESS

IN MY OPINION MAADE THOSE IN THE

WICB/CWI TOTALLY UNFIT TO BE IN THE

GOVERNANCE OF CRICKET IN THE REGION .

When England decided to limit Overseas Players , the Jokers in the
governance of West Indies Cricket did not have the wisdom or foresight to start a Regional Cricket League .

7. IT TOOK THE WICBC /CWI SOME YEARS

TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT NEEDED TO HAVE

A REGIONAL CRICKET TOURNAMENT .

International Cricket is a hotbed of
Intrigue . If you are in doubt , Find
out who had the fastest Bowlers in the
World when it was mandated that Pace
Bowlers can only bowl 1 Bouncer per Over .

Recently the Top International Cricket
Teams decided that they should have
the Lion's share of the ICC Profits .
They were apparently shamed into recinding doing that .

International Cricket is perpetually filled with Intrigue . This fact seems to be oblivious to those in the
governance of West Indies Cricket .

They apparently are only consumed with treating our Players like Serfs . Look at the Bravo Incident , I do not condone what he stated . However
He was sent Home from the Tour , and then he was banned from playing on the Team .

I essence HE was punished Twice for
the same Incident . I dont recall that He had a hearing .

My perspective is that the problems
regarding West Indies Cricket really
is not about the Players , It is more
about Those in the Governance of West
Indies Cricket .

This is precisely why in my opinion
at least 2 former Players must be on
the WICBC/CWI Cricket Board .

In reply to FuzzyWuzzy

They all honed their skills in England. Whih current player has gone outside the WI for training except Da Silva?

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Both Pollard and Simmons should not be at the helm ....both are mediocre performance wise... cleansing of mediocrity should start with Pollard and Simmons...... specially in ODI and test respectively....