The recent humiliating defeats of the West Indies cricket team by India and New Zealand are further painful indications of our team's inexorable descent into cricketing oblivion. These disastrous results affect not just the cricketing fraternity but also the West Indian people as a whole, particularly as we endure the demeaning comments of some international commentators who delight in the demise of our once great team.
I had warned the past WICB president Julian Hunte about just such an eventuality but after two or three terms as president he left office with the situation largely unchanged. Many explanations have been advanced but unfortunately after almost 20 years of decline the main cause of the problem remains unaddressed.
During the period of dominance from 1980 to 1995, most West Indies players played county cricket in England. This produced a cadre of players having highly developed skills who could compete at the highest levels of international cricket. In addition, county cricket provided reasonably attractive career opportunities for upcoming players such that a pool of able cricketers was always available thereby providing depth to our cricket.
The decline started in the early 90s when the English decided to restrict the number of overseas players playing in the English counties. Their declared intention was to improve the standard of their cricket by providing more opportunities for their players. It worked for them but was detrimental for us.
It is clear, therefore, that the single most important step for reversing the decline of West Indies cricket is the immediate establishment of a professional cricket league in the Caribbean. I think it is true that West Indies is the only one of the top eight Test-playing countries that does not have a professional league.Such a league will ensure that our Test players and the best of the rest are continuously playing high-level cricket and as a result, improving their cricket as they did previously in the English counties.
Also, the league will provide career opportunities for young talented players who can now stay in the game rather than leave for more financially rewarding areas.At present those who do stay must content themselves with club cricket in the afternoons and on weekends, woefully inadequate for the development of world-class cricketers.
This league can be funded by a national lottery as is done in many parts of the world and not have to rely on sponsors. Many citizens are very likely to support a cricket lotto. I recall one chairman of the National Lotteries Control Board indicating that a regional lottery can generate revenue of the order of US$10 million monthly!
The plan by the ICC to relegate us to a second tier of Test-playing countries increases the level of urgency. I have presented the primary solution–a professional cricket league–as well as a viable method of funding–a national/ regional lottery. May I also suggest that the very able past WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine be contracted to implement this project.The WICB must act now as our cricket is nearing total and irreversible collapse.
Prof Stephan Gift,
Faculty of Engineering, UWI