CRICKET POLITICS seems to be rife in West Indies cricket under the leadership of Dave Cameron and I wonder if those with the power to vote have given us an administration we will regret.
They may have to share the blame for the constant confusion we have had in recent years.
Even if it was fine to give Cameron a chance to see how he would have done the first time, I can’t see any justification why he was given a second term particularly in light of the India debacle.
I think the members of the Jamaican Cricket Association initially got it right and sent the perfect message when they chose to support Barbadian Joel Garner in the run-up to the presidential elections.
They had a change of heart only after a national outcry that home drums should beat first. They were, in my opinion, on the right track and were setting the example for impartiality to be the guiding light in these issues, that if we are dissatisfied with the stewardship of an individual and want that person to be replaced by someone we think is more suitable for the job, it should be done shred of all sentiment.
A conscience vote would go a long way in minimising the negative impact politics seems to be having on regional cricket.
This pattern is distinct from the perennial insularity that makes an appearance ever so often among people from islands seperated by water and with the majority of them independent and flying their own flags.
This hones the culture that each entity is the best and leads inevitably to inter-island rivalry.
It is remarkable that we have been world champions under these circumstances. Some argue that extraordinary talent and not unity was the main reason why we conquered the cricket world.
This concept is discriminatory against the outstanding leaders who had the skills to make the champion teams gel and also the professionalism of the players who adorn the maroon cap with great pride. Their efforts should be treasured and not tarnished.
The political creature is one that tends to patronise those who support you and say things you want to hear in return for various favours but at the same time ostracises those who don’t sing from the same hymn sheet as the mainstream because their conscience wouldn’t let them.
This doesn’t make you insular because you’re not making decisions based on a person’s nationality but more so on the loyalty they show to a particular person usually the person calling the shots-and toeing a certain line because it is politically correct and beneficial to do so.You will be highly favoured for handouts in the horse trading.
Not only that, if you are perceived to have stepped out of line, you should be prepared to pay some kind of price.
Perhaps Trinidadians of late may have come to the conclusion that a few of their players have been targeted in some form of cricket politics following the fall-out from the abandoned tour of India.
The reason chairman of selectors, Clive Lloyd, gave for the exclusion of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from the World Cup was that the team was rebuilding. It was that the authorities were looking to the future when Jason Holder replaced Denesh Ramdin as skipper of the Test team.
Coach Phil Simmons,who is Trinidadian, said a strong case was put by him and Lloyd and the captain agreed for the inclusion of Bravo and Pollard to be part of the One-Day side that will play Sri Lanka but that was shot down by majority vote.
He was clearly annoyed by that development and uncharacteristically lambasted the decision publicly, a move he has been sanctioned for. All of the testimonials since then placed Simmons in high regard, so it can be assumed that he thought there was some kind of politics at play, which was keeping two players who he felt could strengthen it out of the squad, and he couldn’t hide his feelings any longer.
I’m not saying that I agree with what appears to be a breach of protocol on Simmons’ part but when you pull the tail of a sleeping lion, his response can be like the ferocious reaction we saw from the suspended coach.
If we are to believe that Simmons is a decent man of principle based on what others said on his behalf, I am giving him the benefit of the doubt that he would have stood up the same way even if the players in question weren’t Trinidadian.
Evenso, if we are presumably in the rebuilding phase and Bravo and Pollard aren’t good enough for the One-Day team, what caused the same selectors to put them in the T20 squad?
Politics plays in every sphere of life but I think it has been taken to a new level in West Indies cricket under the leadership of Dave Cameron. I am not accusing him of any wrongdoing but by the same token all roads lead to the person in charge of any organisation, in good times and bad ones.
Andi Thornhill is an experienced, award-winning sports journalist.
