THE?FOLLOWING?IS an open letter to Barbados’ cricket captain Kirk Edwards.
AFTER COVERING Barbados and West Indies cricket as a journalist for the last 25 years for newspapers in the region as well as the Caribbean Media Corporation, formerly the Caribbean News Agency, I must let you know that while I was shocked at your responses to questions which I asked you in a post-match interview (see Page 2B) in front of the Garfield Sobers Pavilion last Saturday, I wasn’t entirely surprised.
Even though, I don’t think anything I write would get you to change your attitude toward members of the media, I owe it to my profession nevertheless to settle the score in this column, which is so aptly titled.
Respect is always due to every individual with a different opinion and while one should always celebrate any achievement, winning titles and success in general can sometimes overshadow a myriad of issues and problems, especially with regards to team selection.
But rather than become swollen-headed because of Barbados’ capture of a 21st regional first-class title – your first as captain – and indulge in pompous pontifications, you should always remain humble and recognize the media is not the public relations arm of any national cricket team and will report on the good, bad and ugly.
Such a holier-than-thou attitude coupled with inferences that the team’s success was because the players “stayed together and stayed away from the media”, clearly reveal a misconception of the role of the media.
At a time when you should be happy and expressing thanks for such a triumph, it seems you haven’t realized by now the media will commend you when you win and conversely will condemn when you lose, especially if you are dismissed for bingo number totals.
It appears that the media are enemy No.1, so you seized the opportunity afforded by your title success to vent your feelings and frustration for the stick the team received.
Let me inform you that past Barbados’ captains, coaches, managers and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) have all been subjected to analysis by media practitioners. Sometimes such criticism is constructive and objective, other times it is destructive.
Maybe you are cut from a different cloth and I dare say you have the right to challenge any journalist for his or her opinion on Barbados cricket.
The media, as you must know, encompass radio, television, public relations agencies, newspapers, magazines and other publications and are involved in cricket in a massive way.
In fact, you will notice that several former outstanding cricketers and legends of the game are now television and radio analysts while the BCA, which approved your appointment as national captain, uses the media to get its message across through Press releases, almost weekly.
Here in the West Indies, we have the likes of Michael Holding, Ian Bishop, Jeffrey Dujon, Sir Vivian Richards and Deryck Murray among others, like Desmond Haynes.
There were also many others such as Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Garry Sobers, former?Barbados captain Carlisle Best, Wayne Daniel, Franklyn Stephenson, Philo Wallace, Roland Butcher and Ezra Moseley who have been part of radio commentary teams.
Not forgetting, of course, the legendary Tony Cozier, who didn’t play at the Barbados or Test level, but is revered throughout the cricketing world.
Even the current chairman of the Barbados senior selection panel, Hendy Wallace, is a veteran of the commentary box. In fact, twice this year, while Barbados was involved in matches, Wallace travelled overseas to be part of the commentary team covering the series between West Indies and Zimbabwe.
Can you imagine if someone like the former England opener Geoffrey Boycott had to give his forthright views on your batting style?
But what should also be pointed out to you and any cricketer who thinks they should stay away from the media is that the governing body for cricket in the Caribbean, namely the West Indies Cricket Board, benefits significantly from multi-million dollar contracts with television stations and other networks like ESPN as was the case in the last two Caribbean T20s for broadcast rights of matches.
Consequently, you and your fellow West Indian cricketers receive bigger pay days resulting from the sale of such rights.
Last year, England star Kevin Pietersen was fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board after taking to Twitter to criticize the broadcasting ability of a television commentator for Sky, who are in effect the financiers of English cricket.
You would also realize that more and more cricketers, including those who were anti-media during their playing days and didn’t take too kindly to criticism, are now joining the media after their playing days are over, and are now making comments that they wouldn’t have wanted any media person to make about them when they were playing.
Perhaps you can take your cue from your West Indies’ teammate, wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin, for the refreshing manner in which he answered questions posed to him just before you did your interview.
You may remember that Ramdin, on scoring a long-overdue century, took out a piece of paper with the words “Viv, Talk Nah” in a veiled reference to critical media comments made by Sir Vivian.
Ramdin subsequently apologized for his action and now understands how the media should be treated. At no time, did he try to be rhetorical and cynical with his answers.
I don’t know if the media are responsible for you losing your place on the West Indies’ team, but maybe you should just let your bat do the talking.
