Cricket in the hurricane

Stephen Vasciannie

IT WAS a scene from Salvador Dali. Fifteen grown men, 13 bedecked in white flannels and matching shirts. Our taxi crept by the field. A well-built six-footer started his run-up. Fourteen or 15 steps, a gentle hop, then delivery. Short, wide of the off stump but prompting the batsman to play uppishly into the extra cover region.

This was pure surrealism because Tropical Storm Chantal, also known as the Hurricane, was almost upon the cricketers. It was 2:45 p.m. and all indications were that the first near hurricane in recent Bajan history would hit the shore by early nightfall. But this was Barbados, and the dictates of cricket required the denizens of the Dover Cricket Club to complete the match, come hell or high water.

What, though would cause grown men to disregard the perils of nature simply to make sure that their game should reach its technical conclusion? The storm clouds hovered, traffic on the main roads to and from Bridgetown approached record levels of congestion, people scurried to "Big B's", "Julie N's" and other supermarkets for last-minute supplies yet these men, oblivious to reality, insisted upon their private ritual of throwing a little red ball across green grass.

Ultimately I suppose it comes down to attitude. In no other Caribbean country ­ and perhaps nowhere else in the world - would the religion of cricket cause worshippers to ignore such a violent tropical storm 200 miles off. To these Bajans, however, cricket is a very tight analogue for life, and so the way you play the game is a sign of your general attitude to living in the 21st century. If you field sloppily, that probably means that your powers of concentration are generally questionable. If you cannot take instructions from the captain about delivering on a good length, then, maybe, you would also have poor judgement at work, and so on.

Thus, this gathering storm may be a threat, but strength of character, and manliness, require the cricketers to press along. Rain may eventually stop play, but until then, you show your dedication to duty, and your determination to face the adversities of life by keeping your mind focussed on the sporting tasks immediately at hand. After all wasn't the Battle of Trafalgar won on the playing fields of Eton?

This devotion to cricket, and to the symbolism of cricket, is also evident in other aspects of Bajan life. There may be a giant billboard of the local sprinter, Obadele Thompson, outside the Cumbermere School, this suggesting an increasing diversity in national sporting achievement, but really, the focus remains beyond conjecture. To the visitor's eye, for instance, it seems that almost every other roundabout in the parishes of St. Michael and Christchurch pays homage to cricket, with Sir Garfield, Sir Everton and Sir Clyde being prominently remembered. And, as you drive to Cave Hill on the UWI campus, the memorial to Sir Frank, and the neighbouring hall of residence named in Sir Frank's honour, seem to tower over the surrounding community. The hero is the role model for the future.

At some point in Caribbean historical overview, From Columbus to Castro, Eric Williams noted that most 18th or 19th century discussions among local planters concerned death, disease and debt. And, bearing in mind recent events at Braeton and Tivoli, as well as the current movie, Life and Debt, one may well be inclined to the view that not much has changed in Jamaica over the years. Fortunately for Barbados, however, the talking points have moved on more clearly, over the years. True, the race factor remains significant, but, on a day-to-day basis, the trilogy of death, disease and debt now seems replaced by sugar, tourism and construction. All this points towards a strong future for Barbados, even at a time when the Government has warned that there may be a slowdown in the level of growth in the imminent future.

But I digress, for cricket is my focus, and my central point is that, in addition to issues of economics and development, cricket remains the main point of focus for many Bajans. However, if we accept this proposition, one important paradox needs to be addressed. It is this how is it that notwithstanding the country's undying devotion to the game, the Bajan national team seems little better than ordinary when compared with other regional competitors? And, on a related point, why has Barbados not provided a substantial number of cricketers for the West Indies XI, as it did in days of old?

It may be that there is no real paradox here, and that we are simply witnessing the natural swing of the pendulum. On this view, Bajan cricket will return to glory, with new stars emerging to claim roundabouts in various parishes. But, right now we cannot be certain: from an armchair analyst's perspective, a part of the problem may be size, for the country's relatively small population may not generate enough first-class players to engender regular and serious competition. Also, the natural pool of cricketing talent - already limited - may now be losing more Obadele Thompsons to other fields of play, a factor which is affecting cricket throughout the Caribbean.

Even so, however, the Bajans have no reason to be pessimistic about the country's cricketing future. Just remember those cricketers ignoring the storm.

Stephen Vasciannie, an attorney-at-law, teaches at the University of the West Indies.

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