Is This Really Cricket? – By Dr. Dhanpaul Narine
Cricket, lovely cricket? Hardly. When the wickets are tumbling you can’t find anyone to hold up the side! If you happen to be a West Indian fan then heaven help you.
There is more confusion in West Indies cricket than ever before and most of it is beyond the pavilion. Test Cricket these days is being played in empty stadiums while the crowds turn up for the T20 variety. Gone are the days when this most genteel of games would cause the imagination to soar to unattainable peaks. Money, politics and big business have injected angst and personal venom in cricket. The game of gentleman and women has been lost in various forms of baiting, racial bashing and dressing room bullying.
One only has to read Kevin Pieterson’s autobiography to understand the level of cynicism that pervades world cricket. In the gloomy maze in which cricket finds itself one factor is common. The faithful and loyal cricket fans are being taken for a ride. The desire to win at all costs and to make money seem to override the pure and unbridled joy of appreciating the finer points of the game. The situation has deteriorated to the point where the immortals of the game want drastic action to be taken. Sir Ian Botham has called for the elimination of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Clive Lloyd has asked for fewer T20’s as this format arguably undermine skills at the Test Match level. There is a bucketful of money to be made in the shortest format but Test cricket remains stagnant. ..Read more – Is this really Cricket
Comments
Cricket lovely cricket
At Bourda where I first saw it
Yardley tried his best
But Kanhai won the test
To me it was superfine
Better than our local hi-wine
Mr Cameron has been a poor administrator as it was he on behalf of the Board that cancelled the Tour of India. The entire WICB needs restructuring and it is time for changes to be made. WIPA should be disbanded and the players represented by a new union.
The author has made a valid point – good article. The WICB is a joke and so are the majority of West Indian players. The main “entertainers” of WI cricket can only play T20 cricket. How long would Gayle last against a Test Match bowling attack? Clive Lloyd is correct about the undermining of skills. The players are only interested in the money to be made in the IPL. Cricket is dying and West Indian cricket is in the terminal phase barring a revolution.
I have ‘enjoyed’ two articles by Dr. Narine – one on the Ebola outbreak; and now, this, on West Indies cricket.
I have yet to come to any firm conclusions about the first.
On this one, however, my conclusion is that “WEST INDIES CRICKET” will ‘flame out’ (like so many other “WEST INDIES” things) … and out of the ashes (pun intended) will rise … the Phoenix … of “bat an’ ball”.
And everyone will participate – as players or spectators.
Yes! Even I!. But I will not disclose which category.
My good buddy, Milton Latcha, once answered a question about my cricket talents.
“Mr. Persaud does not know the difference between a leg break and an off stump!”