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Are the West Indies cricket team fighting to be crowned as the world’s best Twenty20 outfit because of the mechanisms of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)? Or should that be despite the mechanisms of the WICB?
(Copyright AFP 2016/Punit Paranjpe)
No matter who triumphs when the West Indies cricketers clash with England at the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 final on April 3 in Kolkata, there is only one guaranteed winner in the Caribbean. And it ent West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
The Caribbean’s cricket master is WICB president Dave Cameron, even though he probably couldn’t make a single to save his life. And—this is the telling part—although he might actually be worse at management as he would doubtless be in the heat of the action.
Or, to put it another way, any of the top cricketing nations would jump at the chance to hand Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles or Lendl Simmons a passport right now. But Cameron? Not so much.
Yet here is why Cameron is a winner.
Because, once the first ball is bowled, it is the cricketers who alone are held responsible for their fate. Success and failure supposedly depend on their concentration, judgment, effort and ability. And, to suggest otherwise, is to look for excuses.
Indian bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya will be cursed by over a billion of their countrymen before they go to sleep tonight.
(Copyright AFP 2016/Diptendu Dutta)
Not because of any vague notion that they could have done a better job. But because television replays showed that they delivered costly no-balls when the India team and supporters alike thought they had snatched key wickets.
In the same way, the villain of the Twenty20 final will be a reckless batsman, an uncertain runner, a butter-fingered fielder or a bowler who loses his nerve.
It is easy for armchair critics to spot the flaw in an elite athlete who spent over a decade of sacrifice, effort and practice to get to that defining moment in his or her career.
Not so simple when it comes to gauging an administrator. And that is partly because there is little understanding of their role in the first place.
If Gayle goes cheaply in the final and West Indies lose, Cameron’s supporters will argue, with some justification, that the Board cannot be blamed for a rash shot.
They are not too keen to use the reverse argument, though, which is that the WICB doesn’t necessarily deserve praise when Gayle, Charles, Simmons or anyone else hits the right shot.
The role of the administrator certainly influences what happens on the pitch but it won’t be measured by match winning shots or game turning bowling performances.
(Courtesy WIPA)
The administrator’s job is essentially to give the team under their care the best possible chance of success. Or, to put it another way, to take away any excuse that outfit might have for non-performance.
It was the job of Cameron and his Board—not WIPA’s, although they do have their part to play—to ensure Sammy and his crew went to India in the right frame of mind for success.
Did they?
However you answer that question would bring you nearer to the truth than weak arguments that West Indies’ appearance in the Twenty20 final in itself proves that Cameron must be doing something right.
In the same way, a finance minister is not necessarily a genius because his term coincides with oil prices of over US$100 a barrel. And another minister is not a disaster for having the misfortune of serving when prices are below US$50 a barrel.
They must be judged based on their competence in handling the issues under their control.
So just how good are the current bunch of West Indies players?
(Copyright AFP 2016/Punit Paranjpe)
Cricket fans will be immersing themselves in highlight reels and statistical data to answer that question over the next three days and beyond.
It would be worth considered the value of the WICB to this team too. And, please remember, you won’t see the evidence of their work in YouTube clips.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
Ian Bishop gets the drift Bruce Aanensen Andre Baptiste Anthony Deyal Akins Olatunji Vidale Chabeth Haynes Mark Pouchet
https://twitter.com/irbishi/status/715808322826452992
I would thank Grenada ‘s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell for intervening or else we would have had a mazet side who would have been home already just saying
If you are going to pen article and article about how bad the WICB is doing and they they are the reason for the demise of WI cricket – which incidentally has been on the decline for far more that three years – then it is only fair to give them some credit when the going is good.
Also, why are we not seeing an exclusive interview with WICB Cricket Committee members, the Director of Cricket, the Selectors and WIPA President and then pen a comprehensive article with facts and not assumptions.
Really? I should ask you for your advice before my next article then.
This article never claimed to be an in-depth analysis of regional cricket. It is simply a suggestion for why we find it difficult to gauge the success of administrators. Be they in cricket or any other field.
That’s it.
In this case, all the WICB is an example of a wider issue.
http://www.cricket.com.au/news/west-indies-world-t20-journey-darren-sammy-board-issues-under-19-women-inspiration-cricket-india/2016-04-01?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wt20
Geo-politics Lasana. If the WICB President was so bad, why was he re-elected? I put to you that it was due to his nationality for the purpose of ‘balancing’ power or rather shifting it to the favour of some.
We – as Trinis – should begin with holding the TTCB responsible for supporting the WICB President. There is an unfounded fear that the Trinis were doing too well in the T20 format and that there should be an adjustment of sorts to ensure that places on the team and location of games reflected other interests.
The WIPA assisted in this consolidation of power as it furthered the sporting geo-political interests of persons from Islands who wanted to see T&T culled/nutured. Wavell Hinds and Cameron are countrymen together. This partnership by WIPA and the WICB President saw the cutting down of contracts for ‘big players’.
The TTCB sold out this country by agreeing to some of the terms of the CPL which was to the detriment of a strong emerging Red Force. Colin Murray and Dinanath Ramnarine had some interesting revelations about the bad deal which the TTCB supported.
Yes. I suspect you make quite a few strong points there.
The cricketers won the Match.I have my doubts about one,but not today,let it pass.,
No thank the Cricketer India Ipl for giving those guys experience there .
Hell no…..the Board members are a liability to the game’s development and the players by extension
Oh boy ,I had to watch the replay again last night. I don’t think I’ve seen a better ‘come from behind’ win in a T20 as this one!
Sorry but that was a poor and crap written article
Thanks for the feedback pal. Wanna say what you disagreed with though?
I’ll inbox you driving now
Let me also copy what I said otherwise in thread: “This commentary is not supposed to be an analysis of regional cricket. It is simply a suggestion as to why we might find it difficult to gauge the success of administrators. Be they in cricket or any other field.
That’s it.
In this case, all the WICB is an example of a wider issue.”
Ok with that being said I agree. My difficulty comes from a reader that is not up-to-date on the local issues, (living abroad) thus, wanted a bit more background on why the board is seen as a villain and what was your opinion on the current state of affair. But as you stated its a commentary
Yeah. Wired868 actually has a lot of info on that ill fated India series, which was abandoned.
That is the best example of the costly mismanagement of the current WICB board to date.
In this case, I just want people to appreciate that if Chris Gayle hits a ball in the final over for six or in the lap of a fielder, neither says something good or bad about the bad necessarily.
We have to look elsewhere to understand if our administrators are succeeding. Same for any walk of life.
But I am not making the case either way. I just want people to consider that a point in the right direction.
It seems simple. But already board members are saying that the WI’s success on the field justifies their work.
Credit should be given to Sammy.
Yes
The WICB is claiming credit? Is it April 1st already?
Hahaha
Lol
Crazy? Vomit
They still gotta go.
Dinnas you & I know that is the WICB Board that is killing West Indies Cricket and they will piggyback on both teams and hope the people forget the nonsense they doing.
Some of us won’t forget
Stupes….
Is this a trick question? ?
Lol. Not at all. The WICB has been claiming credit. And some people have agreed with them.
Lasana…what is the live feed for the cricket? I was asked but currently overseas…
Lasana we should ask these great managers how the number one team in world T20 ( which we were just a few months before this tournament) had so few T20 internationals last year given their ranking. That is squarely on WICB.
That sounds like not only bad team preparation but also a failure to properly utilise an available revenue stream and marketing opportunity.
Clearly you are observant of the issues at hand Sir Akins Olatunji Vidale
Look what the enlightened president re-tweeted smh Stephon Nicholas Mark Pouchet Bruce Aanensen Andre Baptiste Anthony Deyal Roneil K Walcott Lasana Liburd Kirwin Weston Chabeth Haynes Savitri Maharaj Akins Olatunji Vidale Davis Melville Davis Melville Hassan C Araujo Kyon Esdelle
He thinks that we have forgotten that if the players had not pulled back from their position that we would have sent a very different team to this tournament. The fact is the players on this T20 team have fine tuned their skills in the competitions around the world and not through any domestic developmental programming. Come again Cameron… but then again today is April 1st
Dave Cameron getting cuss long time lol
Test cricket remains the ultimate. What has the WICB done to develop players for test cricket? We continue to lose 90% of tests played. We win at T20 quite often because the players develop themselves by playing in all the world tournaments. What new young players have emerged from our GREAT franchise four day tournament??? The likes of Devon Smith still topping the batting, and Imran Khan and Nikita Miller wrecking havoc with the batsmen. What does that say about the quality of our regional cricket?
What about the quality of the wickets? What has the board done to improve the quality of wickets throughout the Caribbean??
What about the quality of the grounds on which we play?
Balmain? Accommodation for patrons?
The whole question of franchise cricket needs to be reviewed. Inter island rivalry is now a thing of the past.
Test cricket builds character, it trains the mind to focus on the longer goal, in this way it helps the ODI and T20 games. The higher scoring rates in the latter two transfers to the five day game and helps test cricket to be more entertaining. In my humble view there is room for all and great entertainment and excitement is a part of them all. Love my cricket in all forms.
I do,now think of us who have nothing to do and all day to do it. Gives me five days to enjoy some cricket. LOL.
test cricket is the purest for those of yonder… the youths and the fans not interested..
When cricket goes to the Olympics it would be T20…what sells out the stadium?..T20…
Maybe the ashes would maintain its standing but in 20yrs time when the purist are dead or too demented to remember…. tests would be close to being buried…and this from someone who loves tests cricket but recognise the inevitable
all true but the current world approach of efficiency and speed doesn’t lend to test cricket… who has five days to watch
For what?
Is this a question to make us laugh?
I wish
Definitely NOT! Their personal pride, team-spirit & sheer ability brought them victories!
Shaun Lynch Ha oh dear not this again – I encourage fans to really think back deeply about the recent history about Windies cricket
No
Colin Benjamin…you say the board stopped picking them?..or is it that they chose T20 cricket all over the world?
Gerard, the conversation wasn’t really about whether or not we should be happy with our Twenty20 success.
It is about how we gauge the input of our administrators. Whether sporting or otherwise.
Chabeth Haynes…that being said..we are the best in the most exciting form of the game and the form of the game that’s most lucrative. In 20yrs tests would be dead….no one has time to watch five days of a sport…
Even in India. .. tests are not well attended
Pointing out that we are the best in the most lucrative form of the game while we still always have battles over money isn’t a plug for the WICB’s administrative skills eh…
Well its the most lucrative in the private leagues…
Honestly we cannot expect the WICB to pay them men what Mumbai does .. we cyah afford that…Argentina cyah pay Messi what Barca pays
Right. But can Argentina pay Messi what Brazil can pay Neymar?
Do we pay our guys on par with what Australia, England, India etc etc pay their guys?
Dem men doh make no setta paper from their national teams… they make it in club football and advertising. Neymar on every billboard in brasil…I feel dem does even play fuh free
Of course we don’t. …we can’t afford to
We can’t afford to but we’re the best at the most lucrative form of the game? You don’t find something wrong there?
Well we have to market better….attract international firms… fire fih digicel
Ok. So that would be poor administration by the WICB, no? Which was my point. Lol.
Because we excelling in one format of the game, it doesn’t mean the WICB is excelling in any aspect.
Miss Chabeth Haynes always asking the right question – you should join the sport media girl !
Haha! I would never get a second interview!
When that happens, which I have faced blazing the WICB & TTCB – you know your on the right track
Also while there is legitimate concerns over the future of test cricket – I doubt it will die. It just will be played less in a worse case scenario if ICC continues to be arguably the worst governing body in world sport.
However a lot depends if the current new BCCI leader indeed scraps the Big 3 and can begin the long overdue – ICC leadership process of organizing cricket 3 formats properly.
T20 cricket is here to stay and will have a big influence in how the cricket’s is defined until the end of time
Ah eh catch yuh drift dey
But allyuh does blame de board when we getting we arse buss
Do they deserve the blame then? Maybe they do.
I don’t think people blamed the FA for England’s early 2014 World Cup exit though.
It is not about whether team won but if you gave them the tools to win.
Lasana Liburd…we have debated ad nauseum and blamed the board(rightly so sometimes ) for everything wrong with WI cricket mainly our poor on field performance. ..
Well, my point is we should consider what is their fault and also what isn’t.
Well most don’t here…especially Colin Benjamin. ..if gayle fart stink is Cameron fault
Haha good one Shaun Lynch
Davis, Akins made the point in another chat that West Indies had a habit of using the same players for Tests and One Days in the 1980s and being successful in both formats.
So that is actually our own formula of playing cricketers in all formats.
If you’re only excelling in one third of the formats available to you, you can’t be happy with that performance. 33% is nowhere near a passing grade, let alone one of which to be proud.
And you can’t blame the players because it’s not the same players across all formats.
Hell noooooo !!!!
The teams are in the finals in spite of not because of the WICB
Xactly
Yet when you look at the other international teams a great no. of players play across all formats. You think SA could tell AB he could only play T20 games?
I have always maintained that it is the ineptitude of successive Boards that has West Indies cricket in its present state, their years as a cricketing juggernaut years behind them with little if any chance of an ascendance to past heights and glories
It’s our problem because the idiot WICB and last two selection panels led by Clyde Butts and Clive Lloyd stopped picking our best players for test cricket Gerard Johnson
Bravo & Russell hasn’t played a test since 2010
Rampaul & Simmons no tests since 2012
Narine no test since 2013 and only 6 tests overall despite being teams best spinner since his international debut in 2011
Pollard no tests
Just today I was having this discussion, also it will be an excuse by the board to justify that the sub-committies findings don’t justify that change should come and they would be quickly pointed to the teams current success, Including the Under fifteen and women’s teams.
They players are the ones who won the match and made us proud. The WICB had nothing to do with it. They are just playing games and killing the sport.
WIBC is their Boss whether you want to believe it or not and the players know that. You tell me which board they affiliated to England, SA, India. Come on.No matter what others say they know the drill.I know of what I speak.
West Indies won inspite of the Board
I support the whole shabang. I not running any organisation.
There we go again fawning over the West Indies. T20 was never our problem. Test cricket is.
the Windies Women have an even more inspiring place in the final. They get very little love from the WICB. And forget money—they hardly millionaires. A typical Aussie or England female player might be in the 10x salary range.
we need to discuss that out in the open
The big picture is people need to understand how to gauge success. And not just in sport administrators either.
It isn’t who we see in the media the most either.
He will want to take the credit anyway. He’s prob on his way to India as we speak
He is there right now staying in same hotel with players and I was told up to a few days ago b4 semi final – he has yet to go up to team face to face & congratulate them smh
Steups eh…he will grab that cheque so fast before Sammy could get his hand on it
The players supposed to get 100% of prize money Savitri under the new terms
Cameron a champion?
Maybe not
Some people have answered “yes” eh. It ent unanimous.
Lol of course not
It’s imperative that Cameron be removed and reform undertaken
Yes. Champion Under 19, Women, T20 , Clinics in the Caribbean plus. What you want Blood. Management in place. Young Blood at the helm.
Lasana yuh want people to
Vomit or wha
Lol. Some people are already making the point that they deserve credit. And this is a nation that named Oliver Camps as one of our best administrators of the century.
It’s funny how every other country is willing to pay these guys megabucks except the land that they represent, which proves once again that the islands still don’t know how to treat superstars. I guess Cameron and Co. Can’t come to terms with the fact that these guys will make more than they do..
Time to put the “National Pride” on the back burner.
Let’s not forget the ladies are in their final too. ?
Speaking of which, Colin Benjamin, how come I don’t hear about as much drama with the ladies and the WICB as I seem to hear about the men and the WICB? Am I just missing it?
Interesting question – will get back to you on that
But CARICOM did suggest in their proposal to disband WICB that enough is not being done to develop the next generation of women’s players – so when this group of talented ladies leaves – a potential drought could be on the horizon like what’s occurred with the men since 1995
more like success DESPITE the WICB’s best efforts to be the worst cricket board in the world
NO..!!!!!!!