Dear Editor,

I have not watched West Indies cricket for about 10 years —neither live nor on TV — but I feel certain after the recent Pakistan series that I am about to end my self-imposed exile.I was at one time one of the most avid West Indian cricket fans you could find, and it really hurt for me to have divorced myself from among the faithful.Before anyone accuses me of being a waggonist, let me put my situation into perspective. I have been following West Indies cricket from I was a child. I am now 70 years old. In high school (boarding) I would stay up almost all night listening to cricket from Australia, on my transistor, under my blanket, to prevent detection by teachers. Then I would fall asleep in class the next day, but to me it was worth it.But what turned me off over the recent past was not that we were losing, but it was how we lost. No guts, no fight, not seeming to care about the rich and strong tradition of West Indies cricket, which was always on display — even if we lost.The teams of yesteryear would leave it all on the field. They gave of their best. They never surrendered. But the teams in the last 10 years or so, while providing some outstanding individual talent, invariably seem to fold like a boy scout’s tent in a hurricane — a spineless bunch of overpaid non-performers. Our team has been “turning the corner” for so long, their fans must have been dizzy.However, this team that played recently against Pakistan seemed to have found the courage of the Lloyds, the Roberts, the Holdings, the Marshalls, the Kallicharans, Greenidge, Haynes, Fredericks and the many others who would always carry our flag high — win or lose.I think that all the selectors need to do now is to find two more reliable middle order batsmen and our team will once again be competitive. And they can look out for me at every game once more. 

Stephen Harrison

St Mary

stepharrison28@gmail.com