We want places to pay Bat’n’Bawl

De Indian Premier League (IPL) is de most popular and biggest Cricket League in de game today. It usually takes place for two months, between March and May each year. Last weekend, seven West Indian Cricketers were highlighted as some of de men who in 2025, will receive Big Contracts wid IPL. Among dem is Sherfane Rutherford, de hard-hitting, left-handed all-rounder from Guy-Anna. Ley me just pull from de Auction Sale Report published about Rutherford, (no dis-crimi-nay-shun), is just dat he was the Star of an intense bidding war between the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans: “Mumbai Indians started the bidding at Two hundred and forty-three thousand (US $243, 000), before the Titans countered wid a bid of US $268, 000 Mumbai responded wid a bid of US $ 292,000 before the Titans returned wid a winning bid of US $317, 000. 00.”
Dah’s ah lot ah money especially when converted into Guy-Anna dollars, so ah beg Lie-Za to convert US $ 317, 000 into Guy-Anna’s currency, using the exchange rate of US $ 1.00 = Guy $ 200.00. Her answer frighten me: “Six point six million (6, 6) Guy-Anna dollars.” Ah will have to check dat answer wid Mr Ormond “Bully” Robertson my Form 2 A Maths Teacher at Grammar School.
IPL Cricket is Big Bucks, and these franchise money, even though dey could look like Pee-Nut change when compared wid de millions ah US dollars dat de Big players like Josh Butler, Phil Salt, Rabada et al, earn wid IP Franchise, but nevertheless it must serve as an inspiration foh young male and female cricketers in de Carry-Beyond. What more inspiration our youths need when dey overs de latest from IPL is dat ah 13 year Indian left-handed Batsman Vaibhav
Suryavanshi, the youngest ever in IPL’s history to be in the auction pool, was among de list of sold, unsold players in IPL Auction 2025: IPL pick for US $ 133, 514. Long before Lara, Richards, Sammy, and others, way back in de 1950’s, when West Indies Cricket was beginning to ascend de world stairs, we had Greats like Ram and Va, de 3 W’s, Worrell, Weekes and Walcott, possibly de greatest Trio combination of batsmen ever seen, But, de Test Match Fees foh players den was One Pound (EC $ 4.80) ah day, foh a three months series. Lie-Za figured de Maths mentally: “ three months = 90 days = 90 pounds =EC $ 450. 00 foh ah whole series wid 5 Test Matches, and several County matches. U, C, Y reparate-shun will never RIP.

Alas! de fees got ah lickle better in de 1960’s/1970’s when stalwarts like Sobers, Gibbs, Wes Hall and our local Gem, Mike Findlay played Test Cricket foh West Indies. Lie-Za say when she told Mike Findlay who made ah lickle EC $10, 000 playing ah test series in England, dat Phil Salt, England’s wicket-keeper/batsman who made ah set ah big scores in de WI ah couple weeks ago, earns well over US $12 million wid de IPL Franchise, Mike told her dat he Mike “born too soon” but he still want some kind ah Back Pay if even dey call it Bat’n’Bawl Reparation!

Sadly ah have lickle hopes foh de development of Cricket in SVG. Not under dis Regime. We have lost de Bat’n’Ball culture. Nice! we have upgraded Arnos Vale wid two fish ponds all lit. Now whatever happen to all dem lickle batting strips in de school yard or village, way de youths and dem uses to learn to hold ah bat and turn dey arm. What about our Female Cricket? Dey’s ah Female version of de IPL, its de FPL, getting as popular as de Men’s version. Twenty four years and ah lot ah work to be done in cricket and Sports in general. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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