On Wednesday was the start of the final round of the Four-Day West Indies Championship.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) could not have set it up any better as four teams are separated by five points, and any team from Windward Islands Volcanoes (87.6), Barbados Pride (83.4), Leeward Islands Hurricanes (83.2) and Guyana Harpy Eagles (82.8), can win the title.
The big game is at the Queen’s Park Oval (St Clair, Port-of-Spain) with the Hurricanes taking on the Volcanoes, and if the Volcanoes win it, they could very well take the title. On the other end of the table, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force travelled to Sabina Park (Jamaica) to play the Jamaica Scorpions in a playoff to see who will finish fifth or sixth in the standings.
For yet another year, the Red Force have flattered to deceive in the red ball version of the game. They have failed to win the coveted regional title since 2006, some 18 years ago, and the question will again be asked as to why. The question of who or what is to blame for this shouldn’t go unanswered. Is it the coach, the board, or the players? Is it a combination of all three, or was the preparation just not good enough?
How can most of these players excel in the white ball game, but when it comes to the red ball, yearafter year, the Red Force seems to struggle? The inconsistency is mind-boggling as they seem to play one good match and then play an awful game and go from a top 4 position in the standings, challenging for the title, to occupying a position in the lower half of the table. Perhaps as a bit of a relief and as a show of less embarrassment for the Red Force, because Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) and the West Indies Academy are taking part in the tournament, they will be saved from the indignity of finishing second to last or even finishing at the bottom of the standings.
The results read like a roller coaster ride after the washed-out game against the Guyana Harpy Eagles. I suppose one can point to that and make an excuse that if that game had been played, the Red Force might have been 25 points better off - wishful thinking. After the Harpy Eagles, they blew away the West Indies Academy, then lost to the Leewards Hurricanes, defeated the Windwards Volcanoes, and then were humiliated by the Barbados Pride, and then defeated the CCC. Amazingly, it was win one, lose one with absolutely no consistency, and it begs the question of why this inconsistency was so prevalent in the Red Force squad.
When you look at the squad, the talent is undoubtedly there. The find of the tournament is Amir Jangoo, who batted with the maturity that he had been missing from his game for so long. Jyd Goolie also had some good innings; Tion Webster got a century against the Volcanoes; Jason Mohammed has had a good tournament but can’t go on forever; Vikash Mohan started well with two half-centuries but has fallen away badly. Joshua Da Silva, as captain and a seasoned West Indies player, should have done better, but in general, the batting failed the Red Force when it mattered most.
The bowlers tried their best, but unfortunately, they could not defend against the low scores of the Hurricanes and the Pride. Jayden Seales looks back to his best, and going off to play county cricket in England will do him the world of good. At the end of his spell, he will be an even better bowler. I just hope his workload is managed properly, but he is ideally suited to the seam-friendly English conditions. Anderson Phillip has done extremely well and is pushing for a place back in the West Indies squad. He will give the selectors plenty to think about as he must get some consideration to be on the plane.
The spinners Khary Pierre and Bryan Charles bowled well, but again when the batting failed, they were left with nothing to defend. I was crying out for a leg spinner to be included but veteran Imran Khan, when given the opportunity, did not make the most of it. The coaching staff will have to scout the teams and look for good up-and-coming leg spinners or left-arm back-of-the-hand spinners who can turn themselves into match winners. The various clubs have a responsibility to Trinidad and Tobago’s cricket to expose the talent throughout the length and breadth of the country to the selectors. Are the clubs looking for young talent, not only in the batting department but also young bowlers with some form of potential that can go on to represent the Red Force at the four-day level?
I have always maintained that, locally, not enough red-ball cricket is played. Teams play two-day games, so there is always a hustle to bat quickly and try and win the game in the two days of play that are available. I have overly pleaded for the need for six teams playing three-day cricket home and away which will give valuable experience and understanding of what is needed at the red ball game. Batsmen will have more opportunities to build an innings, and bowlers will, week in and week out, bowl to better batsmen. Until more emphasis is placed on the longer version of the game, the Red Force will continue to struggle. Maybe next year, they will prove me wrong, as locally, nothing will change.
I have never been privy to a postmortem over the years by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) as to what went wrong with the performance of the team. If there is a postmortem, it may have been done and kept internally by the executive to take I suppose, whatever action is necessary if any action is taken at all. We will await a postmortem this year it may make interesting reading.
In closing, thanks to all those who sent me congratulations on Team Progressive winning the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) elections with a resounding victory. The local football fraternity has spoken. We will strive for transparency, good governance, honesty, fairness, and inclusivity, among other things. Let us together bring Trinidad and Tobago’s football back to a level of respectability in the region as we once again build and grow the brand globally. Thanks again to all who supported!
Editor’s note: The views expressed in the preceding article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any organisation in which he is a stakeholder.