“Foodstuffs have a shortage daily, business places burning in the city/ Before they watch these things seriously, the whole meeting is a comedy/ “Ridicule —- fatigue giving, and all of the members laughing/While they having a good time, we catching we royal behind.” Explainer, Kicksin in Parliament (1979). It was …
Read More »Can WI force England to take us seriously? Will Lara’s advice help?
In the lead-up to the First Test which ended at Lord’s last week, Brian Lara, a master of timing, reaffirmed his long-held position on the possibilities for West Indies cricket. “I still believe we have some of the best talents in the world,” the Guardian reports him as saying, “but …
Read More »Open letter to Scyld Berry: does plucking feathers from Lara’s wing float your boat?
These growing feathers plucked from Lara’s wing Will make him fly an ordinary pitch. Who else would soar above the view of batsmen And keep them all in servile fearfulness? Dear Mr Scyld Berry, Beriberi, on the slave ships that sailed to the Caribbean, was not very kind to our …
Read More »Best: Berry wide of mark for praising WI style, yet blasting Lara
History, we West Indians are acutely aware, is written for the most part by the victors. So, although the West Indies have only beaten England seven times in the last 11 series since the end of 2000, in mid-April, British cricket writer Scyld Berry brought the late Tony Cozier to …
Read More »Vaneisa: Spirits of the game; West Indies’ friendly ghosts at the Gabba
“In our eras of greatness, when West Indies took the field, ghostly presences walked with the players, representing commitment to a higher cause, loyalty to the proudest of traditions and attachment to a long line of heroes—and the twelfth man in the team always answered to the name of courage.” …
Read More »Vaneisa: Saluting cricketers in a league of their own
So far, in not writing about cricket for eight columns straight (I am sticking to my story that they are really about Caribbean societies), I have avoided naming any contemporary players. But I want to veer away a bit and talk about some CPL events, and that entails some name-calling. …
Read More »Vaneisa: Build communities by teaching youths “histories of ourselves”
When Gordon Rohlehr and Brinsley Samaroo died recently, the torrent of tributes celebrated their contributions to the world. Especially significant was the consistent references to their generosity with knowledge—the way they shared without regard for financial remuneration or public recognition. Along with the indefatigable Bridget Brereton, they have been exemplars …
Read More »Olympic 4x100M Gold Medalists: “We feel swept under the rug!” Shamfa: Gov’t can’t pay requested fees
Nearly a year after receiving their gold medals at a reallocation ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago’s 4x100M relay team from 2008 claim that the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT) is yet to reward them for their upgrade from silver to gold for the Beijing …
Read More »Best: Will West Indies batsmen get IPL Easter resurrection lessons from mind coach Brian Lara?
Mid-April, the 53rd anniversary of the declaration by Dr Eric Williams’ embattled government of T&T’s first state of emergency, and two voices are in my head. One is real, the other imagined. Neither will go away. “Power alone will never make us strong. The heart must also sing the human …
Read More »Lara takes “performance mentor” job to “improve game sense” of Windies players
West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara was unveiled today as the Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) new performance mentor with a remit to improve the “game sense” and tactical nous of international players and coaches in the region. A CWI release said Lara, a former West Indies cricket captain and record …
Read More »Test cricket for white-ball players, fitness consensus, center wicket practice: the CWI’s 34-point Report on T20 W/Cup exit
“[…] It is not in the best interests of West Indies Cricket that our best players play in every global league and play for the WI Team on an optional basis. It is imperative that the Board and the players have a frank and honest discussion with each other in …
Read More »Lara on three-man CWI committee to conduct “comprehensive review” of WI’s T20 exit
West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara will sit on a three-man committee mandated to “conduct a comprehensive review” of the West Indies’ humiliating group stage exit from the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced today that its: “ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Review Group …
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