As we look carefully at the administration of West Indies cricket team, it would lead us to ask the above mentioned question. The chairman of selectors is a Bajan. The manager, Mr Joel Garner, is a Bajan. The bowling coach, Mr Estwick, is a Bajan. If my memory serves me right, Mr Desmond Haynes, a Bajan is still the batting consultant. The captain of the test and one-day teams, Jason Holder, is a Bajan. {{more}}His test deputy is Kraigg Braithwaite, who is also a Bajan. Now, we have heard of the sacking of Darren Sammy, both as captain and player of the T-20 team and he is replaced by Carlos Braithwaite, another Bajan.
Danesh Ramdin, we know, has been replaced as wicketkeeper by another Bajan, Dowrich. To further give credence to the question mentioned above, when a pacer was needed to replace Roach, Cummins was selected ahead of others. He, Cummins, is a Bajan and now Chandrika has been replaced by another Bajan, Shai Hope. Plus, there are other Bajans on the team.
If this trend continues, it can send a wrong signal of insularity. This, I am afraid, can cause some problems, in that other countries might want to follow in these footsteps, if given the opportunity. There was a time when the West Indies team was made up mostly of Jamaicans. Therefore, am I to conclude that West Indies cricket is political and has insularity? I wish I were wrong. But we have to be honest that something does not seem fair in West Indies cricket.
Let us hope, as loyal West Indies cricket followers, that these developments will not backfire and will also not have a negative effect on West Indies cricket. Let us still rally behind the West Indies.
Kennard King
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