West Indies Cricket…again

The result has been that the team continues its downward slide at a very rapid pace while the leadership seeks to make capital of our hosting of CWC 2007 more to offset current and future debts than to seriously facilitate genuine development.
The failure to address development issues has been evident for some time since despite his best efforts King has not really been able to effect a turnaround in the fortunes of the regional team. Brian Lara has been the most prolific batsman and has been the biggest asset to the performances of Dwayne Bravo and Dinesh Ramdhin. Both batsmen have actually credited Lara in this regard.
Gordon’s approach to the management of the sport really has had li
ttle to show since taking office and his decision to bring on board the CWC preparations his friend and buddy, Ken Boyea speaks volumes about his approach, especially to those of us who are aware of Boyea and his own management of businesses at the local level.
The decision by Allen Stanford to input some $28m into the regional game by commencing the 20/20 tournament is as much business as it is cricket development. Stanford is a businessman who has seen an important opportunity. Whatever about his perceived altruism, the financial opportunities associated with the introduction of the 20/20 version of the game in the region, especially given its immense success elsewhere in the cricketing world, has not been lost on Stanford.
That the WICB pussyfooted before embracing the offer made by Stanford is itself indicative of the extent to which the organisation remains mired in a decadent era.
The heavy focus on the CWC 2007 and its potential profitability may well be overstated even as the different deadlines loom rapidly before us.
Governments of the region have somehow been caught up in the whirlwind of sweet sounding presentations in respect of the potential for the internationalising of the region as a tourism destination, something that may also have been overstated given the limited number of countries to be involved in viewing the world Cup – not more than 50 or 60.
Never before in the history of the game in the region have governments been so generous in their provision of resources for a sporting event without the kind of detailed analysis required when such large expenditures are involved.
For the game in the region not much has changed. It is really the same old khaki pants despite Gordon’s best efforts, much of which we are yet to see unveiled.