The West Indies team is on its way back to the Caribbean after a shameless performance in Australia, the team was beaten 4 nil in the ODI series and were thrashed 2 nil in the T20 series. Was this the same team whose captain said that they were going to win the ODI series 4-1? where are the Caribbean Journalists in calling on captain Chris Gayle to respond to his statement before the start of the series and to explain to the region the basis for his statement? Are the sports Journalists of this region going to allow Gayle to get away with this without some shame on his face? What did Gayle really expect to happen in Australia? His expectations surely had no basis in reality.

We are doing a home series, two in fact, one against Zimbabwe and the other agains South Africa, but no team has been named yet and the first match starts in about one week. I mean to say when are we going to these basic things right? Why is it that we have to wait until the last minute to name our teams and then we expect the players to gel as a team? Can we beat Zimbabwe now? This really would be the pits of we are not able to beat them. In West Indies cricket, nothing is surprising anymore. 

So, tomorrow night Caribbean time is D night for the West Indies team to salvage some pride in the fifth and final ODI against the Australians. Can they do it? Only time will tell. But what about the future of the game in the Caribbean? Where are we going to get the next generation of world beaters from? Certainly, we cannot find them the way we are doing now. Things need to change. The new CEO of West Indies cricket Earnest Hilaire is a man who is visionary, but will the old guard of West Indies cricket allow his vision to shine.

We need a cricket academy; not a building in Grenada or Barbados called a cricket academy, but a PROGRAMME. What do I mean by this? What we have or is it had in Grenada or Cave Hill Campus in Barbados is a building where cricketers go for short period of time. The academy programme is fundamentally different, in that, it's all all-year-round activity. How does it opereate?  In each island, the West Indies Board appoints coaches to go from community to community, competitions to competitions, schools to schools to scout for potential talent. When these talents are identified, they are put into the academy, given a programme and managed by one of the coaches. The programme must include among other things, cricketing skills, nutrition, social skills, media relations and health and fitness.

These players are put through the paces periodically to test their progress and only the best players remain in the programme after a specified period of time.

What can we do about the structure of the WICB? It seems like the same people have been running the game int he region for decades and seem to bring an out-dated approach to the game. They, it apprears, have not appreciated the fact that cricket is now a profession and no longer a part-time sport. I think cricketers themselves, at the club level need to rise up and say enough is enough, time for a change!!

Why is it in this a time of plenty, the Board always seems to be broke?

So, here are again, another series and another series defeat. When will the slaughter come to an end? When will the West Indies cricket team resume winning? The truth is from the looks of hting, not anytime soon.

Australia is making Chris Gayle swallow his words and he must now have mud all over his face, after making such bold and may I say baseless predictions that West Indies will win the current series 4-1. Chris, come on buddy, did a duppy tell you that in your sleep? when was the last time the team won a series, must more to win a series against Australia so convincingly?

It is still beyond me why in 2010 the West Indies team is announced days before a tour.What do we then expect from the team, miracles? Why can't out touring teams be selected a month in advance and then put into camp to train for at least three to four weeks before departing for a tour? Is it that the board does not plan so far ahead? Is it that we do n ot have money? or is it just good old short-sightedness? We are still operating in this modern age of professional sport as if we are still into calypso cricket.

In my next post I will suggest some solutions, in the meantime I hope we can at least win the final one day match to salvage some pride, if the team knows what that is.

I was driving to work this morning when the news announcer said in the headlines that Professor Rex Nettleford is dead. Immediately the bumps on my skin were raised. I knew Professor Nettleford was in a coma in a hospital in Washington, but somehow I expected him to come through eventually.
I was very fortunate to be a student of Professor Nettleford. He taught me Caribbean Politics at UWI Mona Campus during the academic year 1994 to 1995. He was the best teacher/lecturer I have ever had, without a doubt! He never came to class with a book in his hand. It was as if the information just flowed from his brain like oil from a bottle-smooth. He was a master of his craft or crafts.
It’s funny that when I started this blog two days ago, I mentioned his name as one of the intellectual giants, not only of the Caribbean but in the world. He has lectured at universities around the world and has more Honorary Doctorate Degrees than I could count on both hands. He was also a cultural giant. Those who saw him danced spoke with amazement of his grace and poise.
 

Could you believe that in this recession-filled times all the utility rates in Barbados are going? Better believe it. Last week the Fair Trading Commission granted the Barbados Light and Power Company permission to increase its rate by 10 percent. Last year the Commisssion also granted LIME permission to increase its rates and the Water Authoriy, well they just raised theirs by 60 percent.

Now, I only did introduction to Economics, but it does not take a Sir Arthur Lewis to tell us that in a time of recession such moves are detrimental to the masses. What ever happened to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility? Where is the social conscience of these companies?

Could you believe that in this recession-filled times all the utility rates in Barbados are going? Better believe it. Last week the Fair Trading Commission granted the Barbados Light and Power Company permission to increase its rate by 10 percent. Last year the Commission also granted LIME permission to increase its rates and the Water Authority; well they just raised theirs by 60 percent.

Now, I only did introduction to Economics, but it does not take a Sir Arthur Lewis to tell us that in a time of recession such moves are detrimental to the masses.

Whatever happened to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility? Where is the social conscience of these companies?

The moon is absolutely beautiful these nights. Take a few minutes and enjoy it. As a child growing up in rural St Vincent and the Grenadines, moonlights were special time, not just because our house did not have electricity, but all the children in the community would congregate in one yard and play games, sing moonlight songs and dance and just have great fun. All of this has changed now with the advent of cable tv, ipod, video games and what do you know, the Internet.

I urge however, to pause, get a glass of something you like and sit, stand, lay on your back, whatever and enjoy the moonlight tonight.

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