Cricket and crime

You either have to have nerves of steel or be an unapologetic and fanatic West Indian cricket fan to attempt to look at the West Indies at play these days. For those of us who enjoyed the glory days of cricket it is even more disheartening and distressing. We are apparently not the only ones feeling the pain. It was interesting to hear that Richard Bevan, head of England’s Professional Cricketers Association had called on the ICC to do more to help the West Indies. Really Bevan might not have been feeling pain, at least not the same pain I am feeling. {{more}} He might very well have been radiating with joy to see the once mighty West Indies humbled again. Imagine being beaten by England, of all teams, by an innings and 283 runs. Don’t tell me it was because of the absence of Chanderpaul and Sarwan! I am leaning towards Tony Becca’s view that our present West Indies team is the weakest to have represented us in its 79 year history. To be beaten by an innings and over 200 runs is in itself a disgrace but the way we crumbled was something else. Despite the cry for a radical overhaul, following the World Cup Greenidge and company took a cautious approach and felt that the time was inappropriate for any large scale changes. The team they assembled was one they no doubt expected to carry us along for the next couple years.

But how long are we going to recycle Runako Morton and Sylvester Joseph, with averages of 23. 25 and 14.70 respectively? With Gayle we really have to sit around waiting for a miracle to happen for certainly given his approach to batting England is not the best place to expect it to happen. Ganga appears to have been picked more as a captain in waiting than anything else. But that means that the selectors see Sarwan as interim. This is strange indeed but in any event I am not sure that Ganga has much further to go as an opening batsman. Something is surely wrong. One just has to look at the manner in which he consistently gets out. Our bowling attack appears to have a single mission, to ensure that as many English batsmen as possible make centuries. Ramdin has somehow convinced himself that he is an explosive batsman, so he explodes on himself all the time or rather he implodes. He comes in and is immediately on the go as though the rules of batting do not apply to him.

As I write this article I have not heard as yet about Sarwan’s replacement. There is some speculation that since Ryan Hinds is in England he might be called. There are some who still hope for the recall of Samuels. Samuels was not picked, most likely, for disciplinary reasons. To recall him now will make a mockery of the selectors and their policies. About Hinds, I am not sure what people see in him. I have often wondered what is his claim to fame. I was happy when Mikey was called to manage the team to England. This is really a challenging period and it demonstrated to me that they had a lot of confidence in him but given the way things are going I have to wonder if they have not set him up. Our dear coach is something else. One statement he made during the first test has destroyed any confidence I might have had in him. When West Indies had over four hundred runs to make on the last day he remarked in all seriousness to a journalist that West Indies were going to go for the win. Now when last did West Indies make four hundred runs? So he really had to be a mad man to talk about them making four hundred on the last day of the test.

West Indies cricket is in a sad state and in a way any further humiliation in England might work for the better, because clearly it cannot be business as usual after that and we cannot make the same stupid arguments we used when we selected the squad to England. A radical overturn is what is needed. This means not only investing in young players and getting rid of the dead wood but it requires a serious overhaul of the Board and the way it has been running cricket. We might after this continue to lose but hopefully we will begin to produce cricketers with some will and sense of purpose, with pride in what they do and a stronger commitment than we have at present.

Crime Again

I am writing this letter, today, Wednesday, May 30. As I sat before my computer the news reached me about two murders. I had no further details and am not sure about the possible causes. But this comes after last week’s horrendous crime. It still befuddles me as to what could have caused a father to shoot his two young daughters. (One I understand is still alive) Some thing is drastically wrong. We cannot sit back and take refuge in the fact that crime is rampant throughout the region. We have to deal with it, and it is not just a question of catching and punishing criminals. We have to do something about the environment in which this thing plays itself out.

We can all come up with a hundred causes for the rise in crime. They might all have some validity but I believe that underlying all of that is the fact that we have become an ill-disciplined society and whatever contributes to that ill-disciple by extension contributes to the rise in criminal activity. Rules don’t seem to apply in this society. Some people feel they could do anything imaginable and not have to account for it especially if they believe they are loyal to those who hold power. I have been hearing talk around about the happenings at the Ministry of Agriculture. All of this baffles me. How has this been allowed to go on? Are there no processes? Is there no accountability? Something has obviously broken down somewhere and some people must feel that they are guaranteed protection.

Matters that reflect a break down in discipline need not be of a criminal nature or even illegal but represent a marked disdain for rules and regulations and a disregard of norms. Conflict of interest appears to be something alien. It is all about self and what satisfies self. Additionally, what goes on in our schools should be of concern to all of us because whatever manifests itself in school will not be isolated there. In fact there is a constant interplay between school and what lies beyond the school. Being tough on crime is only one part of the equation because some of the criminals couldn’t care less. We have to tackle this thing on all fronts. The student who says in front of his parent that it doesn’t matter to him if he goes to prison is making a profound statement that we need to understand carefully. It was good to see the students and teachers of the West St.George’s Secondary school take to the road in a march against violence. Let this become nation wide and involve all schools and teachers. Any little thing helps in addressing what is a serious issue. We appear to have accepted this rapid increase in crime as just another development in society so we rest until it reaches us. Then it will be too late. Already it is too late. Action is needed. Couldn’t we unite at least on this one issue before it engulfs us all?