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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.
Not ah fork ah dat
less to do with the board was team burning desire to show the board where to .get off..
Sammy said the players went in feeling disrespected, the coach complained of interference, the manager had trouble even getting them uniforms… Sounds all pretty straightforward to me.
I watched the entire game(s). I saw them play in the semi-finals as well. This kid is the future (as is Carlos – his determination is admirable and he is worth more than the IPL paid for him. To eclipse Russell as the finisher is incredible. But folks, be clear, Cameron and his crew (as will CARICOM) would try to grab credit or kudos. For those of us who love WI Cricket it is not who is in charge but what they are in charge of. It is not the government but the governance. Let’s keep our heads and stay together on the future of West Indies cricket – generations ahead.
..These victories come IN SPITE OF the board. A blind man on a galloping horse could see that..
Sammy’s allusion to the team’s affairs with the board was tinged with hurt and disappointment at not being recognised and appreciated by the board in what was not one, but two momentous occasions. The board need to get its act together…the players are doing their part. Time to restore success to the other versions of the game. We wait…
To board need to be remove
Again! The board needs to be removed and policies regarding the tenure and conditions for membership be established. No board must be or appear to be a law unto itself so much so, to the detriment of West indies Cricket.
Interesting to see who will welcome the teams home. I vote for Caricom with no invitation to the WICB. Let the players decide if that is what they want.
Good time for a vote of confidence.
I fully expect CARICOM’s politicians to jump on de bandwagon now that they are world champions and take charge of de celebrations, organize motorcade an ting. Daiz what dey good for!
I can tell you all from conversations with player and coach all tournament they were planning to do it and it was a key reason they wanted to win so badly
Coach? You trying to get the man fired.haha
Correct timing. Hope they hear the cry
Its a war Gerard Johnson they don’t care anymore – players know they wont play again for rest of year and coach not afraid to speak out – he has been speaking against their policies publicly since returning from suspension – so nothing new
WICB communications officer Carole Beckford attempts to deny Sammy’s statement about lack of uniforms
Sammy talk like a boss…..a champion captain of a champion team
Sammy speak like a big man. Buff respect.
West Indies captain Darren Sammy gives his shout out to the WICB for the disrespect, lack of uniforms, uncertainty… Take a bow WICB!
Yup he called them champion
Yep was told about it – but was told to keep it under wraps until they potentially win
No, teams winning despite the best efforts of the WICB
Hell to the no and that stupid comment made by Bassarat some nights ago against our Caribbean leaders will come to haunt him. Our players win despite the ineptness of the Westindian board. Congrats to the women.
No way
WICB..Don’t go begging for creditablity as yet. I reckon it’s too soon to evaluate you”ll, due to the level of bias and “Franco men” BS that West Indian players and supporters had had suffered under y’all,OK !!….But time is the witness.
WICB…Don’t go begging for creditable as yet. I reckon it’s too soon to evaluate you’ll, due to the level of bias and “fanco men” BS, that West Indian players had suffered under y’all, OK!!
I say a resounding NO……the WICB have been messing on their tails for the longest while now….space and time will not permit the deluge of words i’ll like to express at this point, however my heartfelt congratulations on reaching the finals and i wish them all the best tomorrow please God….both the women and men’s team.
They already applauding themselves and taking credit.
Windies had 15%chance of winning, they took it and won.what odds?
The irony of it all is that people are falling over themselves ascribing blame on the Board for every failure by our teams. When a team does well guess what – the Board has contributed absolutely nothing to the success! The Under 19 won the tournament, they did it all on the their own, the senior men and women’s teams are in the Twenty20 finals, they did it all on their own!
Also tell wen a team is nt performing d Damm Manger goes. Dats y d pm’s who are concerned took Dat stand.
Of course nt d WICB didn’t do shit fr d players they R on there own with individual skill an heart. An want to also tell stink mouth Barharat wat ever his name he can say wat he want d Damm board did nun. An I also know he throwing words fr Dr Rowley. With his outer timing self wat hav he done fr T&T cricket? Eh wat?
The west indies board would be congratulated when they ask for forgiveness for their personal vendettas.
Never happening
To think that the board sent them with no uniform and an inexperienced manager. Talk about hidden agenda.
Their inexperienced manager still tried and worked against all odds to source their uniforms. This manager was congratulated for his hard work in making it happen and I personally salute him as his captain did. Good work sir! You had the passion and that was all you needed.
Dave cameron is a total failure. Remove him now. Caricom recomends this.
Wic who? ?
Cameron needs to go
Lol, who can argue against such persuasive and deep analysis?
In the words of Michael holding once again Cameron is being a stranger to the truth
It’s a complete lie to say the pay dispute before the t20 World Cup was settled
What about what big phill has brought to the team.
Davis Melville in what sense
Well Cameron believes its all about what the WICB has been doing but there are many other factors including big Phil. It’s obvious he and his staff are having an impact.
Ye he is from what players have told me from a man manager context
But the main reason team doing well I this World Cup I’d two fold:
– Windies are best in this format since 2012 & they simply rising to the occasion. They guys almost decade long experience of playing ipl in India also has come to the fore this tournament
– because they have been victimized by board and this will be the last tournament in Windies colours for almost all the seniors in the squad – they decided ignore their pay issue before World Cup and play for each other
Very true
So let’s see how Camerons turn the corner statement applies without those experienced players to prop him up
Dan I hope the players make a big statement about board if they win World Cup
Cause I can tell you he has not even been near to the team in person – despite staying in same hotel with them in India
He too shame to face them – the team happy because they ain’t had to see him smh
http://bhpfm.com/cricket/2016/04/02/windies-cricket-is-on-the-rise-says-cameron/
Additional cricket does help. And it is good that the WICB is looking into that.
I will give them the benefit of the doubt that they are also looking into the state of the grounds and the working conditions of those players as well.
But that alone doesn’t make the WICB any good at the job of handling regional cricket.
It is one plus amidst many minuses.
West Indies played less cricket in the home domestic completion during the glory days – the players honed their skills overseas as we all know
However most people accepted Pybus suggestion on double round cricket because that’s what other countries have been doing
I addressed the flaws in the domestic set up & its production line the other day on ESPN
http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/989335.html
Oh please the board is riding on the IPL and other franchise backs of its top players for results. I asking anyone on this forum to show me how WICB over the last two years has advanced the careers of Gayle, Simmons, Russell, Pollard, Bravo & Narine, to make them into some of the most sought after players in the world. So how are they proving their point of the board working?
Haha at “improvement in team morale and effort and professionalism”
Pinard trying his attempts at delusional just like Cameron & Bassrath SMFH
Hahahahahahahaahahah
“Attempts at delusional”? Lawd fadder! Steups, oui!
U should stop talk about cricket and go and speak about golf – since you clearly don’t know anything about Windies cricket
Just posting whatever flit and lies your WICB cronies say
Try harder not to get personal Colin. Gerard deserves the benefit of the doubt that he believes the arguments he put forwards.
I see no reason to doubt that. I don’t agree with everything he says. But I won’t insinuate that he is a hired gun.
I didn’t suggest or insinuate he is a hired gun – but there is a clear difference between a clash of opinions based on facts and reality vs clash of opinion vs lies
And straight and provable lies is what the board in their statements have been doing since the India pull out and Pinard constantly defends it here on wired. This could never lead to sane discussion – just like how the board can’t sit down with the players due to litany of lies they keep saying in media statements and press releases
I know a good few journalist in Caribbean who at times defends the board or is not always anti WICB (although it’s a shrinking group) but at least they acknowledge when they think they are wrong.
Lasana, that’s Colin’s usual response…an ad hominem retort, but never mind as I don’t take him too seriously – he knows better but it suits his purpose of detraction from the issues.
Colin Benjamin, sadly I know even less about golf…about which I am as familiar as you are of correct grammar. Lol
When did the abandoned tour of India occur? Does that classify as a disruption among our players? Does October 2014 classify as “the last few years”?
At present, the WICB is facing a lawsuit that can shut it down due to its own failure to negotiate a deal with its players to save the India tour.
So when you speak of professionalism, I shudder to think you are referring to the Board.
The West Indies coach says the board is forcing selections on him and the T20 captain felt disrespected by dialogue with board before this World Cup.
So not sure why the WICB deserves any credit for team morale either.
As for team effort, no team in sport tries hard because of the nice chaps on the board. Whether you are talking about the West Indies, Soca Warriors or Barcelona, team effort has everything to do with the dressing room.
And The lawsuit alone is motivation for them to perform and leave the WICB by the wayside
Lasana, suffice it to say that your take on the lawsuit over the aborted India 2014 Tour is erroneous.
The players refused to play because the board did not step in over a dispute with relation to a contract that the WICB was party to.
Now, you can debate all the technicalities of that decision.
But I think we can agree that this is precisely why the tour was abandoned.
Lasana, it’s a lot less simple than that, I’m afraid.
At the end of the day the main performance criterion will always be consistent positive results. While we have certainly not yet achieved that, especially in the longer version of the game, few can seriously deny that there has been positive change. As for applying a barometer re individual players’ issues with the Board, that is simplistic at best and dotish at worst – in an organisation where ‘bad eggs’, non-performers and a recalcitrant and disruptive trade union need to be rooted out or brought into balance, that is inevitable (indeed, sometimes desirable). No objective person can deny that there have been far fewer disruptions among our players over the last few years and a vast improvement in professionalism, team effort and morale. Just my opinion though, and I’m sure many will disagree, as is their right.
Or two – in all tournaments at international or youth level Windies have won or got to finals since 1995 (2000 u 15 w/cup, 2004 u 19 w cup, 1998, 2004 & 2006 champions trophy, 2012 t20 World Cup & 2016 u 19 World Cup ) – what has WICB done to help those teams build on these performances
Indeed one simple litmus test example of this is to check how many players since the decline began in 1995 have had issues with their territorial boards or WICB directly regarding how they have been treated
We need to have a criteria to evaluate what is a performing WICB not necessarily a performing West Indies team
Exactly. It is easy to tell if the team is performing. There is a scoreboard for that.
Shaun Lynch and Gerard Emile Zatopek Pinard, I am happy for anyone to make the case that the WICB is doing a fine job. (Even if I might disagree).
What I’m saying is that should not be based on whether or not Lendl Simmons or Chris Gayle has a good day at the office.
I’d like to see the things done by the WICB to nurture our talent and create the right work environment for them to do their best.
Otherwise, it sounds like a man bragging about how well the son he doesn’t mind did in his end of term exams.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
who ? them owls cant see in the day and do nothing at night–Cameron and his toe the l;ine pals are clueless
Good administrators as is shown in the developed sporting world are known – but seldom seen
In the Caribbean in many different sports the total opposite happens
This says either the society is corrupt, Caribbean sport of officials are out of touch with world standards of being good administrators or both
My question is when things are going bad and that is more often than not why is it the players are burden with most of the blame? A lil sucess and the board starts patting themselves on the back
And want to hold retreat!
this couldnt wait til Monday ?
http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,226027.html
Bassarath: WI wins prove WICB working
By Darcel Choy Saturday, April 2 2016
click on pic to zoom in
Azim Bassarath, Director of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), claims recent victories by West Indies teams indicate that things were working at the regional cricket body. He complained that the Board has been abused in the last couple of months despite the recent wins of the various teams.
Speaking at the launch of the WICB/UNICEF Fair Play Training of Trainers Workshop at the Office of the Prime Minister, (Gender and Child Affairs) International Waterfront complex, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, Bassarath, also the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, said that “certain” Prime Ministers of the Caribbean had called for the Board’s dissolution, and within two months, the West Indies under-19 team has won the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and both the men and women West Indies teams are in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World T20 cricket finals tomorrow.
“Doesn’t that tell you something? That things are working at the WICB?” Bassarath questioned.
“When the team loses, the Board comes under severe attack. When the team wins, not a word of praise is bestowed on the Board, isn’t that unfair?” he said.
In November last year, a Caricom- commissioned investigative panel, headed by UWI Cave Hill Principal, Professor Eudine Barriteau, recommended the “immediate dissolution” of the WICB.
Recently Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley revealed that Caricom will write to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to let them know that the regional heads no longer recognise the WICB as its governing body.
Dr Rowley added that Caricom was seeking legal counsel after the WICB flatly rejected the proposal to dissolve the organisation, describing it as an “unnecessary and intrusive demand.” The WICB has warned regional heads of ICC policy which forbids Government intervention and which can result in serious sanctions against the regional team.
As such, Dr Rowley has indicated CARICOM asked the CARICOM Secretariat to get legal advice and support to determine what is the legal position with this product called West Indies cricket.
“Because now that the board is behaving in that way – virtually telling the governments of the region to go to hell – the question arises with the people of the Caribbean, what is West Indies cricket? And how did this board get this product which they are marketing now and is being so bombastic in talking to the region’s leaders?” Grenada Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell has also been quite vocal in opposition to the WICB’s current governing structure and has chastised the regioonal cricketing body for showing “an amazing level of disrespect” to the Caribbean leaders
As shown by this comment by the erudite Azim Bassrath clearly the WICB directors are ready to throw out their spin in the event team wins 2moro SMFH
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.
Bassarath and dem feel we is fools. Let’s be real here…yes we are happy with the T20 team, but ANY true West Indian fan would acknowledge that the preference is dominate in Tests and One-Dayers. Thats the measurement we use.
So if chupidee and dem want to take credit when things go well, why haven’t they been accepting responsibility when things have not? Whose ‘fault’ is it i won’t be seeing my team play in the ICC Champions Trophy next year? If he and the WICB think that winning tomorrow would erase that debacle dey are clueless.
Lasana “A senior cricket official has suggested that recent victories by West Indies teams indicates that things are working at the regional cricket body”
http://bhpfm.com/cricket/2016/04/02/wicb-working-says-bassarath/
lol. I knew they would try that! Hilarious. Trying to make people believe that they are somehow responsible for what the coach and players do on the pitch.
Maybe they read Wired
lol
The last person I will think about for the team’s success is Cameron or the WICB. The guys want to win in spite of all the nonsense for themselves and the WI people
I believe the WI players WANT to win for us and themselves IN SPITE OF the present administration. Any loss would be because of the poor administration. Good luck to both teams! Whatever the outcome we are proud of you!
Exactly! Very proud. Open the flood gate and let the discussion begin bringing a positive outcome for the west Indies I hope. But it must begin with the resignation of the entire board.