Tony BeccaLONDON:
THERE is a whole lot of weeping and wailing among West Indians in England following the debacle at Headingley.
Everywhere you go in London it is the same story, and the telephone keeps ringing with the same story. West Indians here are whispering that they are embarrassed and they are asking what is wrong with West Indies cricket.
That, obviously is not easy question to answer, for the simple reason that it may be bigger than cricket. As Neville Cardus, one of the finest cricket writers of all time, said years ago before he died, sport, including his beloved cricket, mirrors the society, and that could be one of the problems with West Indies cricket.
Although, especially following the recent A level results in England where girls have out performed boys, it is not peculiar to West Indian society, it is possible that West Indies cricket is mirroring a society in which boys generally lack the pride in performance which is evident in girls, they lack the drive to achieve, and in the final analysis they are easily satisfied.
The lack of pride and the drive to succeed by boys is manifested even in the way they attire themselves and their failure to work, really work, towards achieving goals. In fact, some do not even set goals. To many boys, it is cool just to idle their time away.
The society, however, cannot be blamed for the failure of individuals - not if it is accepted that individuals make up the society, and although there are those like Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, James Adams and Ridley Jacobs who are proud and who give one hundred percent in training, in practice and in competition, even though the leaders of the game throughout the territories must share the blame for the final embarrassment at Headingley, the players must take the lion's share.
The leaders must be blamed for sitting by during the great days and allowing the world to pass them by as far as planning for the future and organisation are concerned - no question about. The players, however, are the ones who carry the flag, they are the ones in the battle, and although they need the assistance of the leaders, it is their responsibility to hone their skills - to prepare themselves technically, physically and mentally so that they will be ready when the shots start to fire.
For some years now that has not been the case, and even if the pitch at Headingley was not perfect for batting, the performance by the West Indies was due to their inefficiencies. On the same pitch which Darren Gough, Craig White, Dominic Cork and Andy Caddick reaped such rewards, on the same pitch which Graham Thorpe, Michael Vaughan and Graeme Hick batted so brilliantly, the West Indies, but for bowlers Ambrose and Walsh and batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan who batted unconquered twice, the West Indies batsmen and bowlers looked like club cricketers.
And on the same field on which England's fielders were so magnificent, the West Indians were like schoolboys.
On Thursday night, with their total on 105 for five in reply to the West Indies 172, with Walsh and Ambrose around and the contest still interestingly balanced, England sat down, planned their progress, and out of it came a way to get a lead.
England's batsmen respect Walsh and Ambrose, they knew the two masters were set to open the bowling on Friday morning, and the plan was to "milk" them for singles - especially to thirdman and to long-leg. They played true to plan, and by the time the West Indies realised what was happening, Vaughan and Hick were striking the ball splendidly.
One word coming out of the dressing room is that during the lunch break when England were 200 for six with 95 runs coming off 28 overs in 120 minutes and the match slipping away, one member of the management turned to one of the young batsmen and pointed out how England had successfully blunted Walsh and Ambrose not with boundary strokes but with good and aggressive running.
The young batsman was not impressed. "So what," came the reply. "That is how dem bat."
Apart from the possibility that may be the reason why they keep getting out the same way innings after innings, may be, according to more news, that is why some of them scoff at Adams' approach and giggle while he is batting - even though he has performed, so often when the chips are down, and they have not.
The time has passed for excuses, and remembering that all that glitters is not gold, for praising batsmen who parade a few sparkling strokes but are lacking in technique and bowlers who bowl fast but who by not working hard enough have no rhythm and therefore little control.
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