Windwards – From first to last
EDITOR: The Windward Islands cricket team somehow managed a complete reversal of fortunes in the space of just one year. Last year, the team triumphed in the regional limited overs cricket competition, whereas this year it found itself in last place. The men hoisted the championship trophy amidst much jubilation in their home territories just 12 months ago, but now the constituent countries are forced to hang their heads in shame. Our boys let us down, and they let us down badly.{{more}}
Itâs not just that the team didnât make it pass the preliminary round; the grim reality is that we lost every game we played. To add insult to the injury of a guaranteed early exit, the team suffered the indignity of an ignominious defeat at the hands of a pitifully weak Irish team in its final showdown.
The Windwards decline is much more dramatic than West Indies cricketâs fall from glory. The fact that the team could come full circle, from first to last, in such a short period of time is quite disturbing and to my mind poor team selection is one of the contributing factors. For instance, as I have repeatedly said, Miles Bascombe â the exciting and prolific run-scoring batsman â should have been in the squad. There are other issues at play, and from my observation we might as well rename the Windward Islands cricket team the Sebastian team, in tribute to the father-son, manager-captain combination that brought about its demise.
Windwards cricket needs a complete overhaul. I expect radical and effective changes to our cricket culture. Indeed, the people who belong to this group of islands which is trying to assert itself should settle for nothing less. Letâs work our way back to the top.
R. T. Luke V. Browne
lukebrowne@yahoo.com
Comments
