THE BOTTOM LINE is that poor governance has placed West Indies cricket in its most perilous position in history.
The system, rather than the players, is at fault.
If the head is bad, the whole body is bad.
I won’t stick out that it’s a truism because organisations are run by people and not location, but the administration of West Indies cricket has gone downhill since the headquarters of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) shifted location from Barbados.
We have had instances of over-age players in international youth tournaments, players’ stand-offs and strikes with the board, constant duels between the board and WIPA, the players’ authorised representatives, an abandoned Test in Antigua and the most recent problems in India.
It is even more topsy turvy as I write.The Indians are still demanding $42 million from the abandoned tour of India; Chris Gayle is to be taken before the disciplinary tribunal following his statements criticising the selectors for axing Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from the 50-over squad, and we have to ponder about the probable disunity in the dressing room ranks ahead of the World Cup.
Sadly, no WICB official was known to be sanctioned for the many instances when the board messed up in the past, but players are punished when they step out of line. Where is the balance in all of this?
Indiscipline is indiscipline, so the rod can’t be used selectively. If or when it is, the questions about accountability and transparency will arise and remain a major obstacle to good governance. No, two wrongs don’t make a right but it’s human nature to fight fire with fire.
The fallout from the Indian tour is a prime example.The task force set up to investigate the matter apportioned blame to all sides, yet it appears that at least two players have been made to pay a price even though claims of victimisation have been vehemently denied by the selectors and the board.
However, the timing of the axing of Bravo and Pollard looks awkward and the reasoning about rebuilding the team doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.
Can a finger be pointed at anyone on the board for aiding and abetting what unravelled in India?
Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who tried to make peace between the protagonists, thinks that board president Dave Cameron should resign for the part he didn’t play in trying to resolve the issue.
Gonsalves told the SUNDAY SUN: “I hope the respective boards in the territories tell him to take a break and come back at a later date, perhaps with more mature, renewed skills of leadership. I think his leadership in this regard has been extremely poor and has embarrassed us before the world.”
Does he have a point and if so what will the responses be from the territories? The West Indies Cricket Board’s presidential election comes up in March, so I believe some will say that’s the best place to deal with Cameron. Still, we know there’s plenty of politicking in elections, coming with horse trading so that mightn’t make a big difference.
In the meantime, it doesn’t appear that the players who were seen as ringleaders in India are immune from tongue lashings and dressing downs from some social commentators.
That kind of posturing is wrong if we try, because of a particular bias, to sidestep the issue of poor governance of West Indies cricket from those in charge.
Lest we forget, the issue of players contracts has been unsettled for the past 15 years. Why should one matter take that long to be resolved if efficient governance was in place? Why would players, until recently since the Indian debacle,travel without seeing contracts before a tour? Isn’t this extremely poor governance on the part of the WICB and WIPA?
And, yes, it filters down to some of the actions and behaviour of the players too.
Didn’t Gayle, for argument sake, withdraw from the first leg of the South African tour through injury but then was allowed to play a T20 game for his South African franchise days after? Did this go unnoticed by the same selectors who picked him for the subsequent One-Day series and the World Cup?
Poor governance on this matter is responsible for the chance he got to hit back with venom at the selectors for dropping Bravo and Pollard while they picked him!
My point is that we must set the examples from the top, put regulations in place and stick with them, knowing that the slightest diversion will bring into question the seriousness of the board to govern amid proven accusations of double standards which continue to undermine the sport at all levels.
It is said that order is the first law in Heaven.
Andi Thornhill is an experienced, award-winning sports journalist. email at andithornhill1@gmail.com