If the innuendo emanating from media contains some truth, The West Indies cricket team, have for some years consisted of 11 fragmented players. Never a team. The grist resonating from the bars, cricket grounds and offices is that the management personnel could never command the respect or authority to instill discipline or use their skills to mould a united outfit.
Testimony to this can be the departing shots fired by Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall,Gus Logie,Roger Harper, Ricky Skerrit, Viv Richards and Rohan Kanhai. We in the public scoffed at these gentlemen while justifying the cause of the players. Well the chickens are roosting. But what are the reasons? Could it be insularity and or xenophobia? One thing that is certain for the ascendancy of any corporate entity, there must be cohesiveness in that unit. Another contributing factor could very well be that the ‘designer cricketer’ of today is without the initiative, innovativeness and the desire for cricket. It is logical to argue that WI cricket reigned from the mid seventies to the early nineties with fewer resources than the 21st century cricketer. I can recall in the early eighties in Barbados Joel Garner and Collis King as accredited test players competing in local tournaments organized by community or political organizations on ground that were bumpy, rocky and punctuated with sheep manure. Sylvester Clarke will travel to practice grounds with a box of balls and bowl form 4:30 – 6:00.
Carlisle Best was known for batting all day in the road every Sunday in his district cricket. These guys ‘wanted it.’ No doubt other territories are replete with examples of cricketers of that era displaying behavior of players ‘wanting it.’ The modern day player appears to be short of fitness and motivation. At a seminar hosted by Doctor Rudi Webster in Barbados fifteen years ago he mentioned the scenario of Joel garner and Collis King being motivated to go jogging daily at 5:00 am in Perth, Melbourne, Victoria or which ever city in which the tinier took them. This was during the Packer Series in ’77-79′. Wayne Daniel pounded asphalt for at least K6 per day around his district during his break from active professional cricket. Oh for a similar tale to be told of Dwayne Smith,Marlon Samuels or Ryan Hind!
I see no reason why a Caribbean athlete should not be supremely fit. They have the world’s natural gym all year and access to the some of the best beaches. In terms of nutrition the tropics is unsurpassed with its fruit and vegetables. The Caribbean cricketer has it all but does he want it? It is time he takes some responsibility.
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