A dream for West Indies cricket

ONEY is a huge motivator, as summed up by an ages-old proverb that it “makes the mare go”.

For that reason, movers and shakers may well press ahead with a two-tier system for men’s Test match cricket, regardless of fierce opposition from people like living legend and former West Indies Captain Mr Clive Lloyd.

That two-tier proposal has been talked about for years.

It would separate the top-performing nations in Test cricket — such as Australia, India, England and a few others — from those on the lower rung including West Indies, currently last on the World Test Championship ranking.

Now we hear that the “Big Three” comprising India, Australia, and England are much closer to agreeing to such a system, which could be implemented as early as 2027.

In a two-tier arrangement the top teams would play against each other more frequently, theoretically providing consistent, high-level entertainment and intrigue such as seen during the recent Australia vs India five-Test series. Supposedly, it would also mean more “meaningful” contests and fewer “mismatches” for the lower-ranked teams as they play among themselves.

We suspect that owners/controllers of the big-money-spinning, cricket-friendly television networks are pushing for the two-tier system, which presumably would involve promotion and demotion.

We also suspect that the two-tier proposal would not see the light of day if any of the big three were anywhere near the bottom of the Test match table. The contrary is true and will most likely remain so, given the strength of resources those countries pump into their cricket.

Paucity of resources for Cricket West Indies is the main reason many, if not most, of our top professionals do not currently play Test cricket. Consequently, the regional team is at the bottom of the table. The truth is that competing, cash-rich Twenty20 (T20) tournaments crowding the international cricket calendar are offering cash rewards which are much too attractive for elite regional players to refuse.

The big three and a few others have the wherewithal to offer lucrative contracts and related financial rewards to their top cricketers, ensuring they have them whenever they need them. Cash-starved Cricket West Indies has no such capacity.

What’s not readily appreciated is how West Indies’ dominance of world cricket in the 1970s and 80s came about. The truth is that our top players of that time honed their skills and became world beaters largely because most played professionally in England and were also part of Kerry Packer’s game-changing World Series cricket in the late 1970s.

Similarly, West Indies’ T20 men’s teams that conquered the world in 2012 and 2016 did so largely because of their exposure in global T20 leagues, led by the Indian Premier League.

And yet, despite the overwhelming resource handicap, West Indies teams have occasionally stunned the world in Test match cricket in recent years — such as early 2024 when Australia were beaten by eight runs in Brisbane.

That result, we suspect, is the main reason Australia will be playing three Tests, rather than just two, on their tour of the Caribbean in mid-year.

Immediately, the thought arises regarding what could be achieved should Caribbean countries and Guyana come together as governments and at the corporate level in properly supporting West Indies cricket.

A futile dream? Perhaps. But we dare to hope. JObserver