Tony Becca, ContributorWEST INDIES cricket is weak. It has been so for some time now and one of the reasons for the present state of affairs is the lack of money to fund a proper development programme. The funds are needed to provide proper facilities at the club level, to pay for coaches of young players starting from a tender age, to pay players below the Test level, to organise a good first-class competition in the region and probably even to organise regular Youth teams and A teams tours.
In a region where everybody knows more about religion, politics and sport than the other man, in a place where everybody knows everything and believes his way is not only the best way but also the only way, another reason is the absence of a plan. While there are many more reasons, still another reason is that sometimes we talk too much - so much so that sometimes we get carried away, sometimes we lead others to expect too much and most times we simply talk nonsense.
Although we lament the lack of money to fund programmes that can lead to development, we so often waste what little we have, and a perfect example of that is the latest move by the West Indies board to send one young player, probably also a female player, from each territory to England to practise in the nets with the West Indies team.
Based on discussions we had in Antigua recently that, apparently, is the brainchild of the team's former manager and present Cricket Operations Officer, Tony Howard the selling point is that by rubbing shoulders with the West Indies team for a few weeks the player will be exposed and can learn a lot from the experience, if that is not a waste of money, nothing else can be.
Does not make sense
The cost of getting a player to England, the cost of keeping a player in England does not seem to make sense when compared to what, in real terms, will be the benefit to the player and to West Indies cricket.
Apart from the nonsense of selecting one player from each territory instead of the best players from anywhere, whatever the players selected can learn by being in the nets in England with the West Indies team, they can learn from being in the nets in the West Indies with the West Indies team. They can also learn from the coaches in the West Indies and they can learn from staying home and playing club cricket where at least they will learn to compete.
Maybe it is, once again, a case of everything and anything foreign is better. In the end, however, an the clubs could do well with that money in their effort to provide facilities, equipment and coaching for many, many young players, it will be nothing but a nice holiday for a chosen few - a few of whom, based on the history of West Indies cricket and especially so at the level below Test cricket, will be chosen on merit.
If after all the talk and all the meetings of recent times about the development of West Indies cricket there was a plan for the development of West Indies cricket, what is now being planned, what appears to be a knee-jerk action from one man to the plight in which West Indies cricket has found itself, would have been rejected for what it is - a waste of time and money.
Talking about talk, members of the West Indies team, including members of the management team, are talking too much - so much so that sometimes they talk nonsense and in doing so build up the expectations of the people.
While managers, coaches and captains are expected to encourage players, it seems so hollow when, minutes after a disappointing performance, the West Indies manager, coach and captain talk about "we have to see how we can win the next one and the series", "I haven't lost any faith in any of our batters or in any of our bowlers," and "I have confidence that the boys will be able to rebound after this defeat and give a better account of themselves."
Too much talk dangerous
Talking so much can be dangerous. As it did to former coach Bennett King on May 21 last year during the West Indies/India one-day series, as it did to present coach David Moore recently when he said that Chris Gayle was the best spin bowler in the West Indies, it can lead to talking nonsense.
King said just over one year ago that five West Indies players - Dwayne Smith, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Gayle and Jerome Taylor - were among the five fastest athletes in international sport, including rugby.
According to King, the team's strength and conditioning trainer was, in his previous life, a rugby coach, and he should know.
King also said that Smith was a once-in-a-lifetime athlete with a lot of ability, that there was some marvellous talent in the team, and that the players could move the place forward.
King, thank God, went on to say, however, that these wonderful athletes needed to learn about the discipline of cricket, the training mechanisms and the consistency of approach towards training.
"That's the joy of working in a place like this," said King. "You can see some wonderful performances one day and then tomorrow they can come out and you're not quite sure what you're going to get."
King was a waste of money, so too is Moore, and so too is this move to send young West Indies cricketers to England to practise in the nets, to gain some exposure, to gain some experience and to rub shoulders with the West Indies team - with this West Indies team at that!
