Now that all the emotion over T&T's exit at the semi-final stage of the WICB's four-day championship tournament has returned to normal, it may be a good time to reflect on the circumstances surrounding this elimination by Jamaica. From the time of my early youth I was taught that the only place to win at any sporting contest is on the field of play. If you did stupidness or did not perform and lost, you take it like a man and reflect to correct it.
With that in mind it was arrogant stupidness living in the glory of T&T's excellent showing in the IPL in India two years ago and believing that we were the best cricket team in the Caribbean although we were taught a lesson last year by Guyana and only this year by a very poor Leeward Islands team. It was stupid to enter into a competition not knowing the rules under which the competition was being played. It was stupid to elect not to play our game vs Jamaica at the Queen's Park Oval where we have had an excellent winning record vs Jamaica going back to the 1960s.
It was stupidness to win the toss and under ideal conditions send the opposition into bat. Finally, it was stupidness to have the bold-facedness to pursue the matter in court when we lost out on engaging in the final.Stupidness plus arrogance equal loss.And the T&T Cricket Board subscribed to this stupidity by stating that it had to show support for the players and sanctioned the court action. Who is going to pay the $300,000 plus legal fees?
I wonder if the players and their administrative staff are going to pay for their stupidity or are they going to wield their influence to use the board's coffers. They seem to be running the show anyhow, reducing the board to figurehead status. Pull up your socks and pay more attention to selection policies and use of resources; that way we may win.A tip: Dave Mohammed had to play in that semi-final. Enough!
William Rodriguez
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