A formula appears to have been devised to find some way out of one of the most dispiriting episodes in West Indies cricket history. Well, at least that is what the public is being told following talks between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) over the collapse of the recent tour of India. The two sides now claim no bad feelings.
The spin coming out of Friday’s late evening talks in Port of Spain between the two sides under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves at least allows the West Indies to continue among the playing nations at the highest level of the game. Those talks also agreed to refer the players’ controversial pay cut to arbitration. There can be no reasonable rejection of these two decisions.
To have sent, or at least offered to send, a less than first-rate squad to South Africa for the next scheduled tour starting next month might have met with firm rejection from the cricket authorities in Johannesburg. After all, they want the best team from this region to tour there simply because of what is expected both on and off the field. They understand the legacy of Headley, the 3Ws, Sobers, and Lara. The big bucks for television rights and spectators’ needs demand only the very best players. Given all these requirements, the regional cricket leadership has little choice other than to ensure they give the South Africans what is required.
Perhaps even more important for Barbados is the tour of the region next year by the England squad. This has the potential to bring in much needed foreign exchange for the country and boost tourism while the English are on the island during the first week in May. A number of the visiting supporters will obviously be here before and after these dates and as such will contribute to the extension of the official winter tourism season. Clearly, what has been happening in West Indies cricket must be closely watched by politicians and business executives from Bridgetown to St John’s to Kingston.
John Public across the Caribbean will therefore be following developments within regional cricket with eagle eyes since there is much more at stake than the salvaging of the reputation or pride of a select few. The biggest issue still outstanding is the fallout from the tour of India mid-last month and what this means to the credibility of the WICB, WIPA and indeed all Caribbean people.
With a US$42 million claim from India’s cricket authorities, there must be legitimate concerns relating to how any such debt and all associated costs will be covered. In the circumstances, can the shaking of hands and making amends hold us up as being trustworthy, accountable and sensitive?
