I was going to focus on two purely cricket topics today. A folklore session in Port of Spain a week or so ago, and the West Indies squad for the Men's T20 World Cup announced last Friday.
But then I read the latest Saturday Express editorial. This editorial has become accustomed to focusing on sports issues in recent weeks.
The occasion highlighted the failure to prioritize the National Cycling Center in Couva for cyclists ahead of the national championships in the coming weeks.
So the cyclists had to make way for gymnastics and, above all, Lego competitions at the velodrome on successive weekends.
Apparently, it had previously been pushed aside to accommodate volleyball.
no way? not much. This is Trinidad and Tobago, the place with the highest per capita corruption on earth.
If a prominent lawyer and prosecutor like Dana Seetahar is assassinated and her murder remains untried 10 years later, should we really expect cyclists to be housed in cycling facilities?
With no desire to do the right thing from top to bottom, these laments serve no purpose other than to be informative.
In the not too distant future, most of us will have no idea what it means to do the right thing if we are not already there. Therefore, it is best to stick to the original plan and talk about cricket.
Once again, that meeting allowed us all to do what we do best: talk, without being forced into any meaningful action.
Bottom line: Unless Cricket West Indies changes both its governance structure and culture, most of the well-intentioned recommendations and mere audience recommendations will be in vain.
All contributors know that, and they know that the CWI director is not going to vote to abolish them. There is no such selflessness here.
So what is the point of this exercise, given that at least four comprehensive studies of the management of West Indies cricket conducted over the past two decades have all come to the same conclusion about a flawed governance model? Was it?
Like any conference or consultation, the purpose was to appear to be doing something when in fact nothing was being done.
Remember, this is the same area that was in turmoil regarding crime last year as well at the same venue, and the bold declaration made at the end of it was an area that was already under control throughout this never-seen event. Commercial weapons were prohibited. – Come and see the archipelago.
And to the 15 members preparing for the World Cup.
There's been some ripples of discontent with Kyle Mayers' absence, Shimron Hetmyer's recall and Shamar Joseph being named Australia's Test hero (his name is not in the T20 internationals so far). However, there is no attempt to exaggerate the differences between them. The perspective, aided by banner headings, has the desired effect of bringing the dialogue surrounding this team's selection to a near-inflammatory level, but it happens occasionally.
Yes, comments from head coach Darren Sammy and lead selector Desmond Haynes would have heated up the discussion a bit.
But is Hetmyer actually better used near the top of the order rather than lower down (as one of my media colleagues claims), or is Joseph Is it a gamble to use Joseph, given that he hardly plays competitive cricket? That day in Brisbane, more than three months ago, or even if two left-arm spinners could be an expensive luxury, those questions and concerns will remain until June 2nd, when the first pitch is thrown against Papua New Guinea. People will be busy with other issues.
In places like the West Indies, there has never been, and never will be, unanimity in the selection of regional teams.
This comes with territory, and no matter how much we plead for an end to islandization, no major changes will occur.
Contrary to what is being touted now, insularity has always been with us, and if anything, what happened at Queen's Park Oval in 1981 when Derrick Murray was not in the side playing England. Do you remember? At any point in this generational conflict.
What matters in the end, of course, are the players selected to perform at a consistently high level throughout the tournament to assuage the painful memories of the last two disastrous T20 World Cup campaigns.
Evidence from the recent form of the West Indies colors and the league's myriad franchises suggests that the bowling will struggle more than the batting.
In any case, Australia, title holders England and India have emerged as favorites to win the title, so if a third T20 World Cup title is to become a reality, they will have to overcome their shortcomings and make it to the big stage. Whether they can survive or not will depend on coach Rovman Powell's team.