The West Indies cricket team has just won its second match in the limited over series against Pakistan in a very convincing manner in Guyana. Unfortunately, the series had already been won by the Pakistanis and this is why I decided to write this letter to illustrate that it is only after there is no longer any mental pressure can the WI show some competitive ability. This tendency to be uncompetitive and complacent in early games of a series, when top performances are essential, has been the norm for the West Indies for the past ten years or more.
I believe this is a direct result of the players' lack of mental strength to cope with the pressures and not because of a lack of ability or talent. The many mistakes and bickering that continue to occur between the WICB and Wipa have also not helped the players to properly focus on the games. I also believe that the team urgently needs a very competent sports psychologist who can instill a greater degree of self-belief and confidence in the players so they are not awed by the big games. Dr Rudy Webster performed this role in the 1990s with some success but this input is desperately needed today.
The West Indies continues to produce very good youth teams which do well in international tournaments but when the players get to the senior team they do not live up to expectations. This is quite the opposite with most of the other Test-playing nations where their top youth players fit seamlessly into the senior teams and go from strength to strength. I hope the WICB and Wipa will see the benefits that can come from an initiative like this.
C Rodriguez
Petit Valley