Pansies of the Caribbean: 1

What can we do with West Indies' cricket? Dissolve it, I say. Windies’ cricket ceased to exist a long time ago, its place was taken by a likable joke. One of those romantic comedies, which star an A-lister, but you know there isn’t much substance, and he’s just doing the funnies for the monies.

These stars would rather be anywhere else in the world. Even in the ICL. But then, nothing measures up, so they tend to fall short too – take for instance, Brian Charles Lara and his bottomed out Bombay ICL show.

What, even while BC Lara was in the national side, it appeared he was challenging himself, while the other 10 kids were being challenged by the sport.

Strangely, even through the Lara years, you had the freak shows with captaincy and the West Indies cricket board (WICB). Hooper was dragged out of wherever he was (Australia?), and Jimmy Adams was held back from joining commentary – while both Hooper and Adams captained, neither were long term options. And they always had to contend with the Prince. Why am I thinking Michael Jackson, even I don’t know?

Once Ambrose and Walsh retired, the Windies were retarded. Not the team they claimed to play as – ‘Islands in the Sun’ or ‘Carnival Cricketers’ would have been apt, to call it West Indies not on.

Now here we are in the Gayle years, and he’s not even in the side, forget captaincy. Instead there’s a team of timid Pirates – yeah, could be far more marketable as The Pansies of the Caribbean. But that’s for a laugh, not the solution.

The solution came from one of the Island’s cricket boards, Trinidad and Tabago, was it? They floated the idea, (good timing, Windies cricket is sunk) of an independent T&T team. Their own national side, independent of the West Indies’ team.

To hell with romanticism, I like it. Here’s to T&T. Let’s go Guyana! Bring on Barbados. Jump for Jamaica!

There you have it, some readymade sides, while some teams like T&T will benefit more, what with the two Bravos, a young Simmons, and perhaps an older and wiser, Lara; I reckon, this will help cricket in the Carib come to terms with reality, snap from the past.

This could be a reality check for the ICC and world cricket: get beyond obscure new cricketing nations, set your own mad house in order first. Also, Bangladesh could embark on an entire series of series across the islands. Together, they could play and grow as cricketing nations. I’ll be happy, just to know that was the best Leeward Islands’ team playing.


You could also read 'West Indies vs West Indies' over at BCC!