Before we start the post mortem of the last two diabolical displays from the West Indies cricketers, we must remind ourselves of the terrorist attack–Cricket's Darkest Day, according to the Australian Herald Sun newspapers – in Lahore, Pakistan, a year ago last Tuesday, when several of the Sri Lankan cricketers, and the ICC match officials, were nearly killed on their way to the Gaddifi Stadium. Two bus drivers and six policemen died that day, but the scourge of terrorism, potential or real, continues to haunt us into sports. We can only hope and pray that these situations do not reappear during the ICC World T-20, here soon. Let us get back to the cricket so far on this Zimbabwe tour.
Worse performance ever
Never was this entire region more embarrassed, then even apathetic, than Sunday last, when Zimbabwe, who made a meager 105, beat the West Indies in the only T-20 of this tour, by the whopping margin of 26 runs. None of our radio commentary team could believe what we were seeing. None of the overseas internet comments could believe it either. Even the six or so thousand hardy, brave souls that attended at the Queen's Park Oval were shocked, then confused, and then abusive, which are normal reactions to such terrible shambles.
Eventually, the apathy stepped in too: "Dem is a really spineless lot." "Duh is why de West Indies deh at de bottom a de table."
"Dem is wuss than bad!" "Dey just too damn rich; deh doan need no mo' money!" While I do not know what it is, something is seriously wrong here.
I have been listening to, playing, or covering West Indies cricket since 1960-61, when, as a seven- year-old, I listened, with my father, to the West Indies tour of Australia. I can say, without any doubt whatsoever, that the West Indies effort in that T-20 last Sunday was indeed the poorest that I have ever witnessed, and I have seen very much indeed. I wonder what else must be said or done to confirm that this team is very poor. It is reaching the stage that the ICC should be considering to remove our cricketing charter, and not too soon, for a lack of brain power, as some of these guys seem not to have any brain at all. Last Thursday, Chris Gayle got 57, Adrian Barath also made an exact half century, while the ever reliable Shiv Chanderpaul made 70; 177 between these three, yet the other eight batsmen, including the supposedly improved Dwayne Smith, Narsingh Deonarine and Kieron Pollard, could not get the other 78 required for victory.
This is crap cricket in its lowest grade. If you remember, it was I who suggested, in 2000/2001, when the team was bowled out for 82 in the first innings of the first Test at Brisbane, against Australia, to lose that Test, and the series badly, that the West Indies should have gone home instantly and started over. I still believe that. Last Sunday, it was as if the West Indies had been blinded by some very bright truck headlights, and then stood there just to be hit.
Have you ever seen a bush-master mesmerise it's pray? No? Then refer to Zimbabwe's spinners last week.
Why is WIPA silent on poor performances
I know that many would, again, as if greeting Moses coming down from the mount with some edict or strategy, suggest that Ottis Gibson is now here, so all will be well. "Give Ottis a chance, man!" We had also heard that before too, of Bennett King and John Dyson, and others. Neither of these achieved much at all, so while I will give Gibson some scope, even some rope, I sincerely hope that he does not have to hang himself with it, but will use it to "tan the hides" of our so-called "best" West Indies representatives. I am a founding member of the West Indies Players Association, but where exactly is WIPA when you need it? Much noise is made by the executives when the players do not seem to be getting their due. Where is the noise when the players are not giving patrons their due?
Do they really know that they represent us all? Is it really okay for patrons to be paying good money to see this continued trash? Is this the kind of play and representation WIPA thinks that we, the seven or so million of the Caribbean, deserve? At least, one newly-appointed West Indies Cricket Board Director, Baldath Mohabir, had the belly to air, publicly, his displeasure at the performance. "Pathetic" he mildly described it. I am sure that he will soon, as one good friend put it, be "politically corrected" that is, be made to understand that he is not to say anything objective, practical, or, God help us, honest, about our cricket team. They all live in fantasy land. Last Sunday's cricket at the Oval was an eye-opener.
I heard so many cheer leaders and outright liars, people who have direct input into the West Indies team, even becoming apoplectic as the team was being pilloried by the crowd. I sometimes wonder if these people look into the mirror and see someone else there, so much do they lie to themselves about our cricket team. I am sure that no-one, and I mean no-one, expected the Zimbabweans to bamboozle the West Indies so, and with spin too. It was really pitiful.
Blame the Selectors
I do not know if you know this, but that game last Sunday was the very last T-20 that the West Indies will play before the ICC T-20 World Championship in April and May next. Can you believe that! Playing the last competitive format game two full months before a competition! I am sure that I am going mad, I must be. It is very possible that the West Indies may not even win a single game in that tournament. What worries me mostly is not even the fact or the act of the beating we took. I am more concerned that, excluding Shiv Chanderpaul, who is already in his mid-30s, and will probably play no more than three more years, and Chris Gayle, who is 31, all of the other players are way under 30 years old, the average age being nearer to 20.
These are the people who will be representing us for the next five or so years in international cricket. Maybe I am blind too, but do you see these players being successful against anybody, with or without the input of Ottis Gibson, or whosoever comes along? I do not think so. I suppose that the people to blame must be the selectors: Clyde Butts, Raphick Jumadeen and Robert Haynes. But if they do not pick these supposed "best players", then whom do they select? I cannot answer that either, but, honestly, some of our players simply cannot bat at all. Andre Fletcher and Dwayne Smith are both confirmed "voopers" all they do is swipe, then, normally, stay on their one bended knee, posing for the cameras, only to admire as the catch is taken somewhere in the deep. Pathetic is joke!
