On the Cricket Pitch

Reality returns in Jamaica

Philip Hackett

Thursday,  May 12, 2005

Predictably, reality returned to West Indies cricket last weekend in Jamaica.

After the euphoria created by the meaningless Test match in Antigua the usual glaring problems, temporarily hidden by the ridiculous pitch at the Antigua Recreation Ground, returned to haunt us.

It is not the first time we have allowed ourselves to be fooled when sound judgement should have prevailed and, as long as the ARG retains its character, it will hardly be the last.

Three years ago following a similar run feast in Antigua, the then coach of the West Indies team, Roger Harper, declared that the West Indies batting was showing improvement.

On that occasion West Indies had amassed 629 for nine declared in reply to India’s 513 for nine declared on what journalist Keith Holder described as “one of the flattest pitches ever for a Test match”.

It was an opinion undoubtedly shared by other astute analysts of the game.

That fiasco included five centuries, three by West Indians, namely the captain Carl Hooper, (136), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (136 not out) and wicket keeper Ridley Jacobs (118).

India’s hundreds were scored by VVS Laxman (130) and the keeper Ajay Ratra (115 not out)

It was the first occasion in the history of Test cricket that the wicket keepers on either side had both scored centuries.

It is small comfort for the West Indies that others have also been fooled by the conditions at the ARG.

Ratra’s century was scored in his third Test for India.

He has played three since his effort in Antigua, the last of them in England that summer.

Apart from his century in Antigua, his other Test innings have produced scores of 0, 2, 1, 13, 3, 19, 8 1 and 1, a total of 163 runs in 10 innings.

But let me return very quickly to what is more relevant to West Indies cricket.

Just over a month after Harper’s optimistic if not naïve assessment of our batting prowess we could only muster 107 against New Zealand at Bridgetown, a performance that cost us the match and eventually the series.

Then it was on to India where we collapsed to 157 and 188 at Mumbai while the home team amassed 457.

Chennai was little better as we fell for 167 and 229.

With the rubber already dead following losses in both matches, our batsmen posted a healthy 497 in the next Test through centuries from Hinds, Chanderpaul and Samuels.

Our patchy batting form cost us a second round place in the World Cup and there was little to shout about against the Australians until the final match in, you guessed it, Antigua when we successfully chased our record breaking 418 to win the final match.

Again convinced our batsmen had turned the corner we were quickly jolted back to reality with scores of 163, 233 for nine and 219 in the one-day series that followed.

Before the year ended, Fidel Edwards and Ridley Jacobs were struggling in a last-wicket stand to save us embarrassment in Zimbabwe.

Even in the second Test that we won it was left to the bowlers after our batting succumbed for a modest 128. Scores of 125 and 208 in the one-dayers, did nothing to inspire confidence as we set off for South Africa where it should have been no surprise that we again faltered for as little as 54 in a one-day international.

The batting woes continued against England, particularly at Sabina Park and Kensington Oval until the ARG gave us the chance to restore pride through Brian Lara’s unbeaten 400.

Not long after it took the last-wicket pair to steer us home in a one-day match against Bangladesh – and there were more problems in what turned out to be a horrific summer in England.

The ICC Champions Trophy provided an ideal finale, but even then a small target was only achieved through the efforts of the lower order batsmen.

With the absurdities of the ARG, the 2005 edition, there was hope that all would be well once more.

Chris Gayle shook off the indifferent form that earned him just 12 runs in four innings to record the 50th century at the ARG in 20 matches.

By the time the innings ended Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Bravo had added three-figure scores as well, making a grand total of 53 centuries in 20 Tests.

Then there was Jamaica. And there will be many ‘Jamaicas’ until the root of the problems have been addressed.

But before any remedy can be prescribed there must be an acceptance that there is a problem.

The WICB is satisfied that there is bigger and better cricket with Digicel on board. The players are happy to survive on flashes of individual brilliance rather than professionalism and consistency, while coaches and medical personnel are at a loss to halt the epidemic of injuries to our fast bowlers.

Two years ago the future seemed bright with the likes of Jerome Taylor, Jermaine Lawson, Ravi Rampaul, Tino Best and Fidel Edwards showing encouraging promise.

All of them have been severely hampered by injury since then.

Pedro Collins, our leading strike bowler, has struggled to play an entire series without injury.

It is doubtful that the hiring of an entourage of Australians alone will change our fortunes.

The root of the problem may be closely related to our leadership problems, education system, our society and, not least of all, our psyche.

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