Any discussion on the future of West Indies cricket must take into consideration, among other things, the origin and causes of its decline in the first place, as well as what are the present circumstances that are leading to continuing poor performances of the team.

There is no single cause for the continuing decline of West Indies cricket over the years and, similarly, there can be no universal panacea that will bring about a revival of the game in the region and, hence, the team's performances.
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Why not employ a highly remunerated 'foreign coach' with dozens of 'foreign' support staff to come up with one?

Actually, on second thoughts ...

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

WI CRICKET NEEDS A COMPLETELY NEW ENTITY GOVERNING CRICKET IN THE REGION .

That in my opinion should have been your headline Daniel Singh .

For years now we have been saddled by the WICB aka the Pirates , with very little if any improvements .

The reason why that is so is the fact that persons who claim to be Sports Journalists in the Region , refuse to be critical of the WICB with its mal adminstration of Cricket in the
Region .

The Sports Journalist in the Region are in bed with the WICB , thus allowing them to perpetuate the decline of Cricket in the Region .

I was particularly struck by one paragraph that you wrote " AND THERE CONTINUES TO BE GLARING REVEALATIONS CONCERNING THE POOR ADMINISTRATION OF THE WICB ".

Why you cannot come out and say that there needs to be a completely new entity governing cricket in the Region , It is nothing new when people write about the poor administration of the WICB .

Presidents of the WICB come and Presidents go , and the more things change , the more they remain the same .

In my opinion the WICB is run like a Mauby Shop that sprang up over night by the roadside .

I say that because Cricket is a buisness , and in my opinion the WICB is not treating cricket as a serious buisness .

But why should they do that when they are perfectly sure that the pseudo sports journalists are always going to cover their asses ??? .

Now as I have stated on this MB , WHY IS IT THAT NEITHER YOU NOR ANY OF THE SOCALLED SPORTS JOURNALISTS INVESTIGATED MICHAEL HOLDINGS QUERY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MONEY THAT THE WICB GOT FROM SKY SPORTS ???

The failure of the pseudo sports journalists to investigate and inform the public about their findings reinforces my opinion that the pseudo sports people in the Region are indeed in bed with the WICB .

Never in the annals of journalism has there been such a group of SPINELESS , GUTLESS PEOPLE ,

In essence , the pseudo sports journalists in the Region along with the WICB are the majior components in the decline of cricket in the Region ,

It is for that reason I am very sceptical about where , and what Institution these people recieved training as journalists .

the problem with this article is that it recites what we already know, convinces us of the need for a strategic plan, and then doesn't give us even the start of one! :D
i mean, whats the point?
Next time the author should work a bit harder and give us SOME idea of what his vision of strategic plan is!

In reply to MarcusGarveyLives

Maybe, we should just hire a former WI cricketer, with even minimal qualifications, and leave it up to him over looking at a more qualified white man. After all, melanin = success!
Oh wait, that didnt work-several times....

Personally I think that all over the Region there needs to be TOWN HALL TYPE MEETINGS , with input from both Players and Fans .

But as I have stated , a new entity will have to be in place . The Pirates dont take advice from people outside their circle of ineptness .

There needs to be more Academies in the Region with Coaches , and Weight Training facilities under the guidance of competent Trainers , and Chiropractors .
Video Equipment to show players their flaws . Bowling Machines . Slip catching cradles .

Yes , these cost money , but the WICB is set to get 108 million dollars over the next 4 years .

I have little faith that they would implement these things .

They cannot beef up their Sponsors , mainly due to the fact that there reputation as a buisness entity is zilch .

A new Entity will bring more Sponsors and have a fresh vision of how Cricket in the Region can improve .

As I have often said , our polayers arent playing as much cricket , as players from the other Cricket Countries in the World .

I have on this MB proposed that the 2 Regional Tournaments be used to select the best 44 players in the Region , have them play a series of matches , then select 22 players who will form the core of our squad .

In my opinion this would keep our players sharp in all aspects of the game . Therefore whether they are hosting visiting teams or Touring , they would be ready .

I really dont believe that the WICB will do these things hence my consistent call for a new entity to govern cricket in the Region . This I am sure will bring about a new dawn in Cricket in the Region.

As I have also stated , it aint going to take much to do a better job than the Pirates .

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

http://caribbeancricket.com/news/0000/00/00/650

still dont know my way around the new site. would some kind soul be good enough to turn the above url into a link? would be most obliged.
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oh, what magic!! thanks to whomever, frank

In reply to FrankSubaran
Creating bureaucratic monstrosities is not the way to create institutional efficiency, adaptability, and responsiveness. This is the method of another well known Caribbean institution, the UWI.

Bureaucracies take on a life of their own and eventually become more important than the product, client, or service to be provided – much like the Police service in one crime-ridden Caribbean country or even the WIBC sometime before Gordon. (The Indian Board is like that too- Go Ganguly).

The basic question is what did we do well in the past and the second question is will this help us to succeed in the present and future. The third question is, what will help us to be successful now and in the future?

The answer may not even require new, extensive structures – it might be just better leadership, it might be reliance on a council of wise me n (Ok-sensible wise men – Go, I mean really go, Holding) – better coaching -Go Seymour Nurse- it might be better facilities at the youth and community, or academies level instead of massive world cup stadia (don’t go, St. Lucia).

Perhaps, a useful and evolving response to change in sporting fortunes in the modern era is best seen in China’s table tennis production system – which has experienced a series of scares and challenges – Hungary in the late 80s, Sweden in the 90s, but never a West Indian Cricket decline; because the response has always been quick and targeted, the introduction of better coaching at senior level (Cai Zenhua, a former player).

China table tennis has mixed outreach, great coaching at the basic level, with quick adaptation in technique (We can all loop too in the 80s and 90s to we can loopkill in the 90s). The result, unfortunately and rather sadly, is that they have easily maintained hegemony.
:shock: :D

In reply to FrankSubaran

Frank , you know That I have no problem with your proposal.

You didnt mention TRANSPARENCY, but I suspect that your are implying that .

I particularly like ACCOUNTABILITY , AND TERM LIMITATIONS .

The problem with some folks is that they dont want checks and balances etc ,which is called Bureacrocy . They prefer the helter skelter modus operandi of the Pirates .

Since this is going to be a Region Governments financed operation , I hope that implies PUBLIC ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS .

Overall , I support your proposal .

BTW , where have you been , ???
long time no hear ,

Regards .... . POINT .

In reply to POINT
Everyone has an answer - check these article http://workers.labor.net.au/4/b_sportspage_windies.html
http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99mar13/sports.htm

Accountability is not only a system, it is a belief, an attitude, a way of doing things. The same objective might be achieved with a greater focus on service orientation - the customer (the WI public) is first and is valued so accountability will be our watchword.

Bureaucracies, including neo-colonial bureaucracies, are always well organized with many rules, but the rules nevercontribute to efficiency nor accountability.

Indeed, some Caribbean Bureaucracies may thrive on metamyth (big damn lies and hiding the truth), which is the antithesis of transparency.

Don't get your whatever tied up in a bunch - As God said to Job, let me question you and you will answer -Which adminsitrator functioned from 1982-2000? What lead to him leaving, eventually? aND, How did he really not leave? Answer= THE EVIL BUREAUCRACY
http://www.cricketworldcup.com/board-of-directors.html

All these systems people want to put in and reform has nothing to do with efficiency - How are you sure these ideas will do anything for the players or me as a member of the paying public for that matter - Do we really care? :twisted:

some general comments:

the purpose of structure and organization in cricket is no different than it is in a business. it ensures the proper allocation of responsibility, commensurate authority, objectives, accountability, transparency, control, measurement & review, and so forth.

try telling grace kennedy and co. to find a good man here, another one there, and let chaos reign.

structure and organization does not imply bureaucratic monstrocity but, instead, a clear understanding of how things work, and who does what.

we need to understand that the rise to power of windies and the subsequent decline, had nothing to do with wicb. english county cricket produced the invincible windies, and when they decided to put a stop to it, windies crumbled.

a nah mi seh so!

ask clive lloyd and viv richards. to some, clive and viv included, it is as plain as day. read what richards has to say on that matter. he was raw iron ore when he was extracted by somerset from antigua. in england, the iron was extracted from the raw ore, mixed with carbon and titanium, tempered at many thousands of degrees to turn him into titanium steel, which will bore and grind for days on end, and even melt, but will not quit and will not break


of course, "proud" west indians find it a bitter pill to swallow, and profer all kind of silly reasons for the rise and fall of windies. fair enough!. but if we continue to bury our heads in the sand, we will continue get shafted up the ass.

in response to point:

cc.com used to be a place where people discussed cricket. it is now a canvas which displays the pathos of west indies cricket, where hero worship and idolatry is an epidemic, where everyone wants at least seven of their countrymen on the west indies team, where statistics abound to show the extravegant brilliance of cricketers who are fundamentally and fatally flawed, where posters compose love letters to their sex objects...."oooh, he was so brilliant in the field today, so athletic, did you see him?"

all in all, not much fun anymore!!!

In reply to FrankSubaran

I understand exactly where you are coming from . It is my belief however that we need to soldier on despite the rise of idolatry etc .

Perhaps one day on this MB people from every country in the Region could discuss the ills of cricket in the Region in a calm and civilized manner without resorting to name calling etc .

I know that it wouldnt happen overnight ,but that doesnt mean that those of us who take a dim view of the current situation should throw up our hands in the air and surrender .

I was without my computer for a little over a year , and was surprised by the invectives hurled around when I rejoined the MB .

In reply to FrankSubaran
We must celebrate our heroes to know who we are-to believe what we can be-Don't you think that that Australians celebrate Ponting, Warne, etc, despite their MANY warts and imperfections?

Perhaps then it is the plague of smallness and insularity that permanently scars our minds, clouds our vision in a mist of dislike, darkens our dreams and expectations, making us into little Caribbean monsters, forever haters of what we are, eternally crabs ever seeking to escape yet desirous of no one else escaping.

I tried to illustrate my points earlier what with Table Tennis China. The CEO of table tennis and badminton is a former world champion player, Cai Zenhua. All the old palyers are given appropriate glory because they did so much for China's image in their playing days. See http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200605/10/eng20060510_264406.html

Hero worship and appropraite praise are two different things. And remember, people have a right to express their views unless they are in Cuba.

As for bureaucracy, well I was using the work in public administratation in Cananda and the Caribbean. However, the same holds true for current thinking in the "for profit" sector as well. Innovation, flexibility and stratehy are the keys to success in a rapidly changing environment; as seen in the case of a company like 3M -http://www.icmr.icfai.org/casestudies/catalogue/Human%20Resource%20and%20Organization%20Behavior/HROB022.htm

As Jesus said, why is it that you do not understand of what I speak? What is that blocks your heart? Who is it that you dislike? Has someone been given hero worhsip? Get over it -This too can be a barrier to change -

Success in cricket now will require innovation and flexibility as an organizational strategy- that may not involve the type of stuctures or people that you envision - Why not build on the template of Cricket Australia. :oops:

In reply to jaydee

there is no perfect nor unique formula, once the fundamental requirements (planning, execution, and control) are infused. some formulae work better than others, and i stressed the need for flexibility and adjustments in the light of a rapidly changing set of circumstaces and environment (as cricket evolves) and as experience mediates.

so lets start with cricket australia if that looks appropriate. note that in australia the government is greatly involved, even if not in an obvious and heavy handed way. note that in australia there is a professional league, and cricketers become wage earning full time professionals (like west indians used to be in english county cricket). note that in australia professional cricketers earn a living wage, some become wealthy, others become exrtavegantly wealthy, and yet others become millionaires). note that australia there is a single sovereign government, unlike the west indies which comprise a plethora of independent sovereign territories, and where balance and political manoevering figure significantly.


you are perfectly right in that there is a fundamental difference between idolatry and the respect for, and appreciation of, the pillars and legends of west indian culture in all its facets.

the idolatry that i find sickeing is when adults, grown men and women exhibit symptoms of arrested mental development, behaving like michael jackson's puerile fans who lurch into spontaneous orgasmic fits when their idol grabs his crotch and mimics masturbation.