Straitjacket for Simmons, Fazeer Mohammed identified as WI’s problem

The good news is that the West Indies cricket team have finally made a defiant stance at a cricket pitch in Australia. The bad news is it is not against anyone in a “baggy green.”

Photo: Australia off spin bowler Nathan Lyons (centre) is congratulated by his teammates. (Copyright ABC.net.au)
Photo: Australia off spin bowler Nathan Lyons (centre) is congratulated by his teammates.
(Copyright ABC.net.au)

Coach Phil Simmons and his troops won’t be taming any Lyons this month from the looks of it. But, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, “Philo” has identified a target worth bullying.

And it is Trinidad and Tobago journalist and broadcaster Fazeer Mohammed.

“The best performing West Indian this summer hasn’t been on the field but in the commentary box,” claimed the Herald, “with Fazeer Mohammed offering insightful analysis of the game in the Caribbean on the national broadcaster’s radio coverage.

“However, it appears some of the Trinidadian’s robust remarks about the lowly state of affairs have been a little too close to the bone for some.

“Broadcasting in the outfield before play with his ABC colleagues at the MCG, Mohammed was told by a West Indies official that their players would no longer be participating in interviews with him here.

“Phil Simmons, the West Indies head coach, is understood to have made the call, taking exception to questions Mohammed raised about the team’s preparation for the Boxing Day Test in an interview with a Barbados radio station last week.”

Photo: West Indies cricket team coach Phil Simmons. (Copyright Phillip Spooner/WICB Media)
Photo: West Indies cricket team coach Phil Simmons.
(Copyright Phillip Spooner/WICB Media)

Simmons, allegedly, was appalled that “Faz” described the West Indies’ sessions as lacking in intensity and purpose when compared to Australia’s.

So the same West Indies cricket coach who was defended by the regional media while he cowered before WICB president Dave Cameron, after speaking his mind about issues behind the scenes, now wants to victimise a journalist for similarly being forthright.

It is a cycle of abuse and, on this evidence, Simmons is probably more in need of a chat with a psychologist—or maybe Verna St Rose-Greaves—than any cricket journalist.

Mr Live Wire can only express admiration for Mohammed’s commitment to his craft. At a time when most cricket fans can only watch the West Indies play through their fingers, the Trinidadian journalist actually attended their practice sessions.

Mohammed is either the ultimate professional or sadomasochistic.

Photo: Respected Trinidad and Tobago cricket broadcaster Fazeer Mohammed.
Photo: Respected Trinidad and Tobago cricket broadcaster Fazeer Mohammed.

And, based on his insight, it appears that a cricket team that is consistently bad gets that way by working on it. Or, in other words, bad practice makes a perfectly bad team. Who knew?

After seven days of cricket, West Indies have not gotten Australia out once. During that period, Simmons’ bowlers have taken a combined 10 wickets while losing 40.

If Simmons thinks the answer is to have his players stop talking to Mohammed, then Mr Live Wire is left to wonder what the hell was the question in the first place.

Is the team’s new rallying cry: “At least we don’t take s**t from journalists!”

Shut them down, Caricom! The madness is clearly spreading.

And now, apparently thanks to Simmons, poor Faz won’t get to hear captain Jason Holder and company enthusiastically describe all the corners that the West Indies team are turning—rather than cutting. He should count his blessings.

Photo: You will get them next time, Kemar Roach...
Photo: You will get them next time, Kemar Roach…

If only Simmons could also ban West Indies fans from watching that nonsense.

 

Editor’s Note: The West Indies cricket team’s stance against Fazeer Mohammed apparently lasted for only a few sessions before they relented. It is uncertain if the cricketers were called off by Simmons, simply lost the taste for battle or capitulated out of sheer habit!

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About Mr. Live Wire

Mr. Live Wire is an avid news reader who translates media reports for persons who can handle the truth. And satire. Unlike Jack Nicholson, he rarely yells.

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96 comments

  1. Lasana Liburd the money we spend on sport, do they not tape training sessions and review games? Commentators, coach and team can offer valuable insight into games hence improve future performance. Do players continue to grow or they just take part in mandatory training. Attitude-and discipline-seems to be a sore point for local athletes. But then again, I am foolishly thinking we will treat sport as a business rather than a charity and that sooner or later we would want a return on our investment. Btw do we have a national sporting hall of fame where we can view the medals of our sporting heroes? Nuff said.

  2. –wait nah you mean Fazeer has been hamstrunged—oops not ham in a jam

  3. Full support for Fazeer. Miss him on TV 6 mornings

  4. Straight Talk is nnot good for Cricket …

  5. I wonder if Phil is gonna ban Aussie journalists too? they have not been light on the West Indies either. Actually, I haven’t seen any journalist who has been. so….

  6. Interesting. Will try to tune in
    Hope I won’t be wasting my time.

  7. Stewpssssss Phil Simmonds. Jeez! How stooooopid!

  8. Alert: Phil Simmons will talk to Andre Baptiste from 5.20 pm today on i95.5 live from Australia.

  9. Fazir, or whatever he’s called, is known to be bias! He just took Morning Edition to the cricket field! Enough said…

  10. I’ve always admired Fazeer. He calls a spade a spade. I guess Phil could not handle the truth.

  11. Lol. Well yes. Fazeer boy give them more pressure! WI need to learn how to bat and bowl again.

  12. Fazeer doesn’t know how to speak to people.
    He needs a lesson in tongue restraint and good manners.

  13. Backing Fazeer all the way… did Simmons want him to lie???

  14. WELL DONE MR FAZEER JAM THEM OUT , THEY ARE ONLY STEALING DEFEAT OUT OF THE JAWS OF VICTORY POINTS SIR , BEST THAT TEAM AN BOARD BE DISBANDED .

  15. Overall though, all I’d say is that I’ll wait to hear Simmons side of story

  16. Well hurrah! and put the flags out and declare a holiday! You mean “the WI cricket team have finally made a DEFIANT stance at a cricket pitch …” : Fazeer is an excellent commentator and calls them as he sees them!

  17. ..so Ian Chappell describes Marlon Samuels as being ‘half-asleep’ when he enters the gayelle..don’t think this a make up…I heard it myself as thousands of others …so Fazeer Mohammed calls a spade a spade and Simmons puts a plaster on his mouth..??

    • Fazeer went there as a commentator to do battle alongside the West Indian team not to ask them de-motivating questions. A true soldier don’t distract his general in the middle of a battle thus causing a distraction. There would be time for Court Martial later on.

  18. Fazeer does hard talk type of journalism best

    Not sports

  19. And a lot of them don’t

    Saw one went to the olympics and upsetting the athletes a few years back

    Very untrained or not accustomed to sports

  20. Sorry but he doesn’t cut it as a sport journalist

  21. If that is true, shame on Coach Simmons

  22. Faz should get called for stoning. #NoMystery #NoSpin

  23. Steups. Don’t know why anyone taking these jokers seriously. We have lost our way and those in charge have no pride in our history.

  24. Why not wait and get the other side of the story, You are acting like a Coonoomoonoo just like Fazeer Mohammed.

  25. I am no longer surprised… I don’t think they invent the toilet paper to clean up the shit that is west indies cricket.

  26. I always thought it was the Job of the Media or a sports reporter or Commentator to give criticism and their own views ? What can be wrong with that ?

  27. The W.I. team is always looking for someone to blame for their mediocrity…. fire Fi bun all…. but that said, if the head is rotten so will the rest be

  28. Whoever wrote the article for Wired 868 give them a medal, what an adroit piece of writing. It delves into and demonstrates clearly what is wrong with WI cricket and it is not the WICB.

  29. Great article they are doing mess. I support Faz

  30. Great article….. I applaud Faz for being able to watch the WI play, I have long stopped. Phil Simmons disappoints me. Sigh

  31. You should be asking if anyone from the West Indies watched the last two test matches ….

  32. Excellent, Lasana Liburd – you keep-on, keeping-on to ridicule these imps…

  33. Extremely disappointed in Phil. Apparently, some of the vindictiveness and stupidity of the WICB has rubbed off on him. Maybe, it’s just frustration, but this is so un-PhilSimmons.

  34. Simmons vexed that West Indies was compared unfavourably to Australia in practice… Take a minute to ponder that. Did Simmons watch the last two Test matches?

  35. If you can’t beat a team, then the next best thing is to find a journalist to beat up on. Eleven versus one may give them a better chance of at least getting a draw.

    You can’t play cricket, then blame the journalist who is telling you that you can’t play. Mind you, they chose Fazeer rather than a ‘foreign’ journalist because they don’t have the testicular fortitude to go against a journalist from Australia, India, Pakistan or England.

  36. If Fazeer did in fact make an error, then Simmo should have just corrected him, not banned his players from talking to him. Also, Faz does not strike me as the type of person that will not admit that he made an error when presented with the facts.

    Perhaps after his last incident, Simmo lost some of his testicular fortitude and decided it would be more easier to become a puppet of the WICB and that twat of a president Dave Cameron … which is an unforgivable shame.

  37. Fazeer always speaks his mind regardless of the consequences

  38. Wow Lasana Liburd. Supporting a person who apparently calls a spade a spade and is not afraid to do so regardless of their hallowed past. Yes I love your take on it. Hahahahahahahaaaa.

  39. When you refuse to stand by your conviction by begging for your job back; What do you expect?? Disappointed in Simmo..

  40. Haha this was a strange, having been lucky enough to talk to coach a lot this year – something had to get him real mad for him to make such a drastic decision – especially towards Fazeer or all people.

    Quick summary talking to AUS media i know was that Fazeer made a factual error on radio for ABC Grandslam stating that Windies only trained for an hour – when they were in nets for an hour and fielding for two

    However up to this morning while all was sorted out

    https://twitter.com/abcgrandstand/status/681733687621226496

  41. Either Simmons gone mad or he bazodee from the licks!

  42. lol the West Indies should be ashamed.

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