Are we nearing the end?

On Target

THE BREAKING news that came earlier this week, revealing that the West Indies has slipped to ninth on the International Cricket Council’s test ranking list, is another of the daggers which has pierced the already bleeding heart of the regional sport.

The rankings show that the West Indies is only better than Zimbabwe on the test table.

To add insult to injury, the West Indies, although remaining in ninth place on the One Day International rankings, they have lost points, thus weakening their position.

To many, such relegations are inevitable, while to some with that spirit of denial, all is not lost.

Unfortunately, to a lot of West Indians, it matters neither here nor there, as those who have been disillusioned for too long, have abandoned all interest in West Indies cricket.

The heartache and pain only come to those who have a sense of the rich history of West Indies Cricket; the sociological impact the successes of the 1980s and 1990s have had on the West Indians psyche, and the meaning of Cricket to regional integration and our Caribbean civilization.

Apart from the recent drop in the test standings, there were many signs and happenings which were germinating and fertilizing the processes of relegation.

But what is most impacting, is that the wider world has grown to have little respect for West Indies Rohan Thomas

Cricket.

Our teams are no longer drawing cards, even in the shortest format 20/20, which our players over the past decade, have patented with their electric talents, thus making them the hot products around the various franchises.

However, despite the diminishing appreciation globally, test cricket remains the litmus test for the evaluation of nations which are in the forefront of international cricket.

For over two decades, there have been symposia on what must be done to revive the fortunes of the regional game; reports and paper trail carried out by respected Caribbean luminaries, restructuring of the various competitions, along with the hiring of home-grown and international coaches and other personnel.

Our annual four-day and limited overs competitions, at their best have produced a bunch of mediocre cricketers, offering little when thrown in the international arena.

It is laughable that almost anyone who plays in our regional competitions is good enough to represent the West Indies, as at times, any number can play.

Away from the on-field results, as with anything else, the wait for some tangible improvements has been prolonged by our own undoing, as bickering and excursions of ego, have taken over, instead of solving the vexing problems affecting West Indies cricket.

When lumped, the end result is that West Indies continues to languish at the end of the table.

It therefore is an understatement to conclude that West Indies Cricket is in deep crisis.

For too long, our cricket administrators have been doing things wrong, and getting the same results, and rewarded with impunity.

No comfort should be taken from the sporadic instances of success, like what was attained two years ago when the Under- 19 team won the Youth World Cup and the men’s and women’s teams won the World Twenty/20 title.

Neither should anyone be soothed with the utterances that success is on the way, whenever there is an encouraging performance by one of the teams.

Actions to rescue the fortunes are paramount, as all round, West Indies cricket is slipping; now entrenched as minnows in tests and one-day internationals, and losing ground in the Twenty/20 format.

Significantly too, no longer are West Indians the much sought after personnel when the Twenty/20 franchises are in search of filling their squads.

In saying so, blame has to be levied at the management of Cricket West Indies (CWI, formerly, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the WICBC.

Successive configurations of regional cricket administrators have not put the systems in place to be in line with the modern day game.

The recycling of the administrators has served us nothing, so it is time for decisive action.

Heads have to roll, otherwise West Indies cricket would have to endure eternal torment.