Dear Editor,
Were these the same batsmen who played in the second innings of the second Test? Apart from Johnson, a left-hander, whom Sir Viv, West Indies’ most indefatigable optimist and supporter, declared a worthy opening partner for Kraigg Brathwaite after about twenty minutes of scratchy batting, the answer has to be in the affirmative. It must, however, be qualified by adding the adverb “physically.”
I am not sure that the character of a people changes fundamentally, if at all, and certainly not in two or three decades. Those who disagree with this view may find the rest of what I say useless because it is certainly grounded in this premise. This belief may explain why I found the comment of the CEO of the ICC that the West Indian character is suited to T20 cricket so offensive, and indeed stupid.
I have written time and time again about the cyclical nature of sport as one of the reasons, along with developments in bigger cricketing nations for the relatively poor performance of West Indies teams over the last two decades. Here I want to emphasize that this comparatively long period of losing may have contributed to a disposition that makes winning even more difficult, which should lead to more thinking out of the box. The reaction of West Indian fans to this long period of losing may have created in the mind of players the sense that they are despised. The appearance that they do not have the same benefits that a home team usually has in so many respects, including fan support, and in the presentation of the games on television, may well contribute to some loss of confidence. For these reasons I believe management has to be very careful about the psyche of a promising young player like Alzarri Joseph. They should also be concerned about what the captaincy of such a team can do to a promising young cricketer like Holder ‒ and to the team. Some time ago I included in a letter to the Stabroek editor excerpts of an interview Sir Viv gave to an English magazine in which he noted that professional psychological help was a key to turning his career from moderate to phenomenal success. I have not heard the word ‘psychology’ or anything remotely related to it, used by Sir Viv in his regular broadcasts over the last three Test matches. I find it odd that a man of such obvious mental toughness could be helped by a psychologist, while people like Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels could not be. This could be the reason they appear sometimes to pay more attention to the shot than to the innings. Darren, who has often mentioned personal challenges, seems to rely on his cousin the great Brian Lara, who could certainly help technically, but not likely emotionally. Marlon has played with a major knee injury for his whole career and recently suffered from a major eye injury. He is probably going to retire without knowing how much a full-time permanent team psychologist could have helped him cope. He has adjusted his game in ways that might not have been all necessary if such help were available.
West Indian cricketers need more professional mental preparation today than ever. They probably need it more than successful teams that routinely rely on it.
Yours faithfully,
Romain Pitt
