Weak West Indies leadership

WEST Indies cricket is in a mess, while their supporters, well-wishers and past players are truly confused as to why nothing is being done to improve performances. Cricket West Indies president Kishore Shallow, his henchmen, and other officials would not admit to their lack of knowledge of the game of cricket, especially when played at the international level.

At the present time, many of those not involved in what’s happening, yet are very keen for the improvement of West Indies cricket, need to know how a once proud group of small island territories that ruled the world in the sport for many a year and always displayed a certain element of panache when participating, whether winning or losing, can succumb to constant failure so regularly.

In the early years of international competitive cricket, WI were accepted as the fourth team to rank internationally as a Test playing region. The early WI cricketers worked hard on their techniques to ensure they could hold their own against England and Australia (South Africa didn’t count because of their government’s policies). It was in 1928 that WI first began playing as a Test team and lost a series three to nil against England in England. Fair enough. They were in the learning stage.

For the love of the sport, the regional cricketers worked diligently and painstakingly to develop and improve their game. Gradually, through determination and perseverance, they managed to compete by winning a few series. WI have now reached the stage where their officials don’t have an idea, not even a clue, where they are going wrong, or what they’re supposed to do in order to return the West Indies to being a competitive model of a cricket team.

The long-suffering citizens, supporters and fans have had it up to their throats with disappointment through lack of leadership, along with a plethora of excuses as to the reasons for inept performances and pour out to all who would listen, the false justifications, the nonsense which would make anyone whimper.

The shortage of knowledge reigns from those who direct WI cricket fortunes. Firstly, there’s Shallow, when asked about getting rid of Daren Sammy, as coach and lone selector, insisted that Sammy will stay in the job and won’t be removed. Sammy was the coach who supervised the WI team when they were bowled out for 27 last July, at Sabina Park in Jamaica. He seems at a loss and is uninspiring.

Some people seem to think that he’s a bad Test coach, but a good white-ball coach. Not really true. A good coach is a good coach in any format of cricket. Some people believe that because of WI being victorious in a few white-ball games. However, there is less strategy in the limited-overs format, whether T20s or ODIs.

Test cricket is the one that calls for several tactics to be used as the game flows, with changes to suit. The reason for this is that in Tests, one team has to bowl out the other twice to win a match. That proves cricket superiority and so be it in all two-inning games; strategy is vital.

It is also so sad to have a captain like Roston Chase, whom Sammy brought out of the wilderness to be the Test captain. That was because, back in 2016, Chase was invited to captain the St Lucia team in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). In 2024, after two years as a Test match outcast, Sammy thought it wise to introduce him as captain of the WI, only because he was the captain of the St Lucia CPL team. It meant that Chase was not only short of cricket leadership experience in first-class cricket, but, moreso, in Test cricket.

Chase is struggling to explain his tactics. His lack of common sense shows when comparing the faults of his batsmen with the positives of his bowlers. I must be watching a different match from the one he’s playing. He says that his batsmen are failing because the wickets are difficult to bat on, while the bowlers are doing a great job. However, it’s the same pitch and if it’s tough to bat on, therefore won’t the bowlers be pleased with its assistance?

If the WI team continues to backfire, then isn’t it only common sense to assume that Sammy and Chase are to blame?

After the spirited fight by Justin Greaves, Hope and Kemar Roach in the first Test, it was disappointing to witness such a dismal turnaround in the second. Newsday