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Enough! No more please!!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
So, from triumph and jubilation at Sabina Park in Kingston to shame and disgrace in Antigua.
It's little consolation that in this case the humiliation has nothing to do with the performance of the West Indies players.
After their extraordinary innings and 23-run victory over England last Saturday, West Indies captain Mr Chris Gayle and his team arrived in Antigua on a virtually unparalleled high. Only to be brought cruelly to earth by an outfield at the brand new Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua so shambolic, that match officials were forced to abandon play after 10 balls of the first day of the second Test against England.
Largely out of consideration for the thousands of English visitors - many of whom would have dug significantly into their savings to make the trip - authorities were yesterday feverishly looking at options, including shifting the game to the old Antigua Recreation Ground in Antigua's capital, St John's.
All that apart, we need to ask ourselves how this could have happened in the first place and what's to be done to ensure it never happens again.
Bear in mind that these very same questions were asked many, many times 11 years ago at Sabina Park when the first Test of that series between West Indies and England had to be abandoned because of a dangerous and unfit pitch.
Back then, the Jamaica Cricket Association and the Kingston Cricket Club - owners of the Sabina Park playing area - bore the brunt of the blame.
The situation is different today, since as we understand it, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) now has a policy of periodic venue inspections to ensure that all is in place before international and regional games.
Nowhere would there have been more need for rigorous inspection than at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground. The fact is that since it was first built for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, the outfield at what was supposed to be one of the premier showpieces for cricket in the Caribbean has been an embarrassment.
Hence the commitment of the top half of the Test match preview report in yesterday's Observer to what was perceived by the article's author to be the unsatisfactory state of the field.
Surely, by virtue of its venue inspection policy, the West Indies Cricket Board should have known from weeks ago that there was real danger of the Antigua ground not being ready.
They should have known from weeks ago that the best bet was to relocate the Test match.
We are not here seeking to absolve the Antigua Cricket authorities, whose role here is nothing short of scandalous.
But ultimately, 11 years on from that disgraceful episode at Sabina Park, the WICB - dysfunctional to its very core - must take the blame.
This latest disaster comes on the heels of a long list of foul-ups and bunglings on the part of the organisation charged with the leadership and management of West Indies cricket.
The consequence has been a complete loss of respect and trust from players, the public, business partners and the international cricket fraternity.
Two years ago, a governance committee headed by former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson urged the WICB to set about a complete transformation of its structure. In essence to disband itself and start afresh.
It seems to us that that process can no longer be delayed. For starters, those now in charge of West Indies cricket need to step aside.
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