Now-ah-days when West Indies win ah Cricket Match, be it an ODI, T/20 or Test, is Celebration wid reservation. Reservation because another win foh W.I is never guaranteed any time soon. De 5-match series was tied at two games each; and de final outcome was to be decided at de end of de final game. So it was like Tanty-Merle all over de Carry-Beyond Sunday night.

De Game went well foh W.I who batted first and made 179/4. Ah didn’t think we had ah chance, not enough runs on de board. . But Jason Hold-ah victory foh W.I in de last over, getting more dan ah “hat-trick,” 4 wickets wid 4 consecutive deliveries. De reliable and dependable Jason Hold-ah medal in all three formats ah de Game. He always seems to be coming thru foh W.I in we greatest time of needs. One writer in de Caribbean National Weekly had dis to say: “Holder, happens to be one of West Indies’ youngest ever Test captains, has risen to become one of the Caribbean side’s leading players, and currently sits on top of the International Cricket Council’s Test all-rounder rankings.”

Which brings me back to de W.I selectors who had picked de team for last year’s T/20 World Cup Championship and picked him to Hold-ah reserve place. He was not selected, side-lined behind ah trio of expired players headed by Christopher Gayle, Ravi Rampaul, Dwayne Bravo, widout being ungrateful dem man would ah done dey time eh. But as fate would have it ah player sustained an injury, and so Holder was pulled into de squad. Now dis begs de burning question who selects ah selector? And what qualifies someone to become ah selector.

HOW BOUT JAB JAB MAS DIS YEAR

To Car-ha-no-val or Not to Car-ha-no-val in 2022 is like choosing between ah Rock and ah hard place. Chairman, Ricky Adams is ah Mas-man, Engineer, Practical and Progressive thinker. On paper he has ah good proposal foh ah safe Vincy Mas, in terms ah putting COVID -19 on ah short vacation, if such ah thing is possible. De Go-venom-mint’s interest is more about getting de jab numbers up to 70 percent. Ah target dey been trying to achieve almost ah year ago, dat now stands at 30 percent. It is not foh want of trying but people reacting negatively to Go-venom-mint’s strategy which remains de same foh Front-line wukers : “No Jab, No Wuk!”dat sadly left some 500 Teachers, Nurses and Policemen out ah wuk.

Yes we had ah revised version of Nine Mornings and Nine Nights foh Christmas, de strategy was again: “ No Jab, No Nine Mornings!”

whether de strategy worked is unknown but de jab figures remain below 30 percent.

We want we Vincy Mas 2022. De guidelines according to de PM are “not something which is opportunistic but rather strategic!” Just “bring de figure up to 70 percent by March.” What an impossibility!”

So way do we go from here. Wid our strategy stuck on Jab! Jab! and More Jab foh everything! We should invite some Jab! Jab band leaders and Jab costume builders from Grenada, conduct Workshops on Jab Jab Mas foh our Mas Men. And dis July there should be ah stage in every town; Only Jab Jab bands will be permitted to play Mas dis year and get big appearance money. Every Jab Jab Band member will receive $ 250. 00 to perform on stage, beginning wid ah Jab from ah Hell’t Official right on spot!. Dis year we having Mas! Yes but Call it Vincy Jab! Jab! And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.