On The Cricket Pitch

Structure and stability need to start at the top

Philip Hackett

Friday, March 19, 2004

West Indies cricket struck a new low last weekend just when it seemed it had already reached rock bottom.

The incompetence that has too often been the hallmark of the sport we once dominated revisited the team in full force last Sunday at Sabina Park. 

In what statistically is the worse batting display in the history of West Indies cricket, fans were left bamboozled by the pathetic manner in which Brian Lara's team folded to England's pace attack. 

It will be understandable if Lara is concerned that he has been at the helm as West Indies recorded the two lowest totals ever, last Sunday's 47 and 51 all out at the Queen's Park Oval against the touring Australians in 1999. 

On that occasion he was apparently so stung by the catastrophe that he led a remarkable turnaround to share honours in the series. 

If he can inspire a repeat performance it will go a long way towards healing the psychological wounds inflicted on our Caribbean people, many of whom are fanatical about their cricket. 

Unfortunately such a revival could also hide the obvious faults in West Indies cricket that have opened the door for such a fiasco to materialise. 

Recently we saw an example of the type of instability in the administration of our sport that not only facilitates but invites such an ignominious occurrence, when Gordon Greenidge, the former West Indies opener who is now a selector, shared his views on selection policy.

Greenidge was responding to criticism of the omission of Barbadian left arm fast bowler Pedro Collins from the squad of 16 chosen to prepare for the first Test match against England. 

"Sometimes we go on gut feeling. Sometimes we go on…what that person possesses, body language, understanding, that know-how. It doesn't always come over to the public the same way.

"I've been given a task to select a team with my other two colleagues and I can tell you… I am not going just on performance," Greenidge was quoted as saying in the Daily Nation, Barbados' leading daily publication."

Collins, who is the leading wicket taker in the regional season so far with 37 scalps, made his Test debut against Australia in a team that included Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. 

He has been a consistent performer for Barbados but this is the first time he has dominated the regional game to such an extent. The logical conclusion is that he is maturing and has benefited from the exposure at international level. 

Commentators around the region have emphasised the consistency with which he has perplexed batsmen with his ability to swing the ball into the right hander. 

I am not suggesting that Collins will be the modern day Malcolm Marshall but I am convinced he has worked assiduously to earn the right to represent the region again.

Greenidge's argument may have been more convincing had his panel not selected Adam Sanford for the Jamaica Test. I cannot imagine anything about Sanford's body language that would endear him to the cricket enthusiast and he has done little statistically since his haul of 39 wickets two seasons ago.

Collins' body language and the 'gut feelings' of the selectors have apparently changed since the selection of the 16-man squad as he has now been called up to replace his injured brother Fidel Edwards for the second Test in Trinidad, ahead of Dwight Washington, who made the original squad.

While I am happy Collins has been given the opportunity he deserves, the inconsistency is disturbing. It is difficult for players to be comfortable and perform consistently in a chaotic environment. 

Unless the West Indies adopt a professionalism and scientific approach at all levels there will be many occasions similar to last Sunday.

But we must take one step at a time. Hopefully in this weekend's Test, the team will perform as significant an 'about-turn' on the field as Greenidge, Sir Viv Richards, Joey Carey and Lara have done around the selection table.

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