Most readers should be familiar with the word "incentive." Yet it appears that sponsors, well intentioned as they may be (most recently, the TTCB), may be oblivious of the word or ignorant of its meaning. I am constrained to introduce them to both: In-cen-tive (noun): something that incites or tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increased productivity; (adjective) inciting, as to action; stimulating; provocative. It saddens me to see the repeated lack of incentives offered to players, and instead the giving away of gifts and prizes before performances are seen and assessed. I agree wholeheartedly with the offer and provision of equipment and such essentials as bags, footwear (bats were not mentioned). But why an I-Pad for every player regardless of how dismal their display may be for the country?
Would it not be more appropriate (as an incentive) for a cellphone at, say, $1,000 to be awarded for the first half century scored and $500 for every similar achievement thereafter? And, yes, an I-Pad (worth $3,000-4,000) for a century and so on. Similar awards may be offered for catches taken, run-outs, boundaries saved etc. Better still, provide the coach with the appropriate technology. My advice to the players is to leave those I-Pods at home, because, on their return from India, if they have not shown an adequate performance on the field, some irate customs officers at the airport may confiscate all the I-Pods. I would. Check the use of technology in cricket: "Coaches use video analysis as a backbone for skill analysis and biomechanics, which is the understanding of performance through modelling, simulation and measurement," not players looking at themselves on a personal screen. I wish them God speed.
BC Boyd
Via e-mail
