Showdown, Caribbean style!
It is pleasing to learn that despite immense odds stacked against them, the West Indian players have proved their worth, and lifted the coveted World T20 trophy. It is surprising that the team has had, at one point, to combat speculations of their participation in the tournament. The players not only put to exhibition their skill in the game, but also lampooned the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in a series of post-match interviews. It is deplorable that the West Indian Cricket Board played a game of politics with the best talents of the Caribbean nations. The feud between the players and the board has escalated to such a level that DJ Bravo, former captain of the West Indian ODI cricket team, commented that the team received more support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) than the WICB.
West Indies has in recent years, plunged to the very bottom of the international rankings. The West Indian Cricket Board appointed a inferior (casually referred to as a "B-grade") Test team in the earlier half of the year, placing the young and inexperienced Jason Holder to the acid test of Test cricket captaincy. It ignored the in-form players of that time, like Dinesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, and many such players. The result was predictable: Caribbean cricket suffered defeats of monumental proportions. The standoff between the players and the board has also resulted in a severe financial crunch for the board. The BCCI had slapped financial damages estimated at forty-two million dollars on the WICB after their team had to pull out midway from a bilateral series in India, in October 2014. In any case, this dispute is not going down well for the players.
Cricket administration has been, for long, plagued by issues of corruption and unwarranted bias. No team prospers, and neither is there any development of cricket in a country whose cricket board is in tatters. It is high time that the competent authorities take proper actions against the position holders, and ensure a smooth power transition for the restoration of normal relations between the players and the board. After all, most people love that "Champion" dance (pun intended) and would not like to see their cricketing stars like Darren Sammy and Chris Gayle in tears.
West Indies has in recent years, plunged to the very bottom of the international rankings. The West Indian Cricket Board appointed a inferior (casually referred to as a "B-grade") Test team in the earlier half of the year, placing the young and inexperienced Jason Holder to the acid test of Test cricket captaincy. It ignored the in-form players of that time, like Dinesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, and many such players. The result was predictable: Caribbean cricket suffered defeats of monumental proportions. The standoff between the players and the board has also resulted in a severe financial crunch for the board. The BCCI had slapped financial damages estimated at forty-two million dollars on the WICB after their team had to pull out midway from a bilateral series in India, in October 2014. In any case, this dispute is not going down well for the players.
Cricket administration has been, for long, plagued by issues of corruption and unwarranted bias. No team prospers, and neither is there any development of cricket in a country whose cricket board is in tatters. It is high time that the competent authorities take proper actions against the position holders, and ensure a smooth power transition for the restoration of normal relations between the players and the board. After all, most people love that "Champion" dance (pun intended) and would not like to see their cricketing stars like Darren Sammy and Chris Gayle in tears.
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