Tony Becca - FROM THE BOUNDARY IT IS said, and it is true, that a friend in need is a friend indeed and right now the West Indies need some friends.
After losing the first three Tests in the four-match Cable & Wireless series, including being dismissed for 47 their lowest total ever, and for 94 their lowest ever at Kensington Oval, the West Indies are in danger of suffering a whitewash for the first time in the Caribbean.
Based on what is being said in every corner around the West Indies, on radio and television call-in programmes and in letters to newspapers, instead of supporting them, their fans have abandoned them.
While it is true that the players, especially the batsmen, have performed disappointingly so far and deserve to be criticised, while it is also true that as far as the people are concerned, losing to England - to the former "mother country" hurts, and that a whitewash, especially at home, would be the last straw and very embarrassing, the fact is that but for some of those who are injured, the players representing the West Indies are the best around.
TRYING THEIR BEST
They are the product of West Indies cricket, they did not select themselves, and despite the attitude, the indiscipline of some of them, they are trying their best.
No one, including those players who believe that they are God's gift to the game, likes to lose, it is difficult to believe that the West Indies are not embarrassed after falling for such low scores and after listening to captain Michael Vaughan saying that England, 3-0 up against the West Indies after three matches, are "only playing at about 60 per cent of our potential at the moment", despite the dominance of pace bowlers Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and all-rounder Andy Flintoff, that "we are relatively inexperienced, particularly our bowlers", and with New Zealand their next opponents, that "I guess we'll see how far we've come when we play the Kiwis", they must be or should be so embarrassed that they cannot wait to get at England in St. John's.
SUPPORT
In any fight, however, it is always nice to know that there is some support and especially so when the opposition, far from home, have plenty of their own.
Fortunately for the West Indies, not everyone has turned and run away. There are still a faithful few who are showing their support and hopefully they will motivate others to do likewise - stand up as West Indians for their ambassadors and thus give them the will to fight on.
On Tuesday night when the West Indies squad, looking smart in their attire, arrived at the Grantley Adams Airport in Bridgetown for the flight to St. John's, they were greeted by well-wishers and autograph hunters.
Minutes after the BWIA aircraft had taken off, the pilot welcomed all aboard, including captain Brian Lara and the West Indies team, and when it started to descend for the landing in St. John's, the pilot thanked the passengers, including the West Indies team, for flying Bee Wee.
"Good luck this time, West Indies," he said. "We hope you will turn things around in Antigua. We know you can do it and our prayers are with you."
That is the kind of support the West Indies need at a time like this the kind of support that says to the players, heads high guys, we are right behind you. Just give it your best shot.
That's what friends are for.
