Dear Editor,
Congratulations to the Under-19 West Indies team, whose victory is all the sweeter for me because it was at the expense of the biggest of the so-called Big Three, who have hijacked the game to which the West Indies contributed more high quality cricketers in the second half of the twentieth century than any other country. I hope those young men get the kind of reception and treatment on their return that would leave them in no doubt about the love, affection and gratitude of the administrators and fans. I could not see the final on TV, but followed a great deal of it, especially the last twenty or so overs, on the computer. I could almost feel the pressure to which Carty and Paul would have been subjected at the crease in that tense period. That they survived and triumphed at the end was as much a mental as a physical and technical feat.
Those fans who have been feeling a sense of hopelessness about the future of West Indies cricket should be encouraged by this magnificent victory, as it clearly demonstrates that the talent to perform well at the national pastime still resides within the shores of those Caribbean territories.
As one of the greatest talents to have emerged from the region, Brian Lara, has so often pointed out, the administrations have consistently failed in the task of developing this talent to the next level, so that they can compete effectively in the adult international game. It is absolutely clear from Lara`s comments that he believes that the several cricket boards need to do much more for emerging cricketers. I share that view.
This comment has been hastened by the imminence of the T20 world competition and an article in the January 16 edition of the Cricketer magazine in which the batsman, often described alongside Lara, that is, Viv Richards, as one of the greatest, if not the greatest to have played the game, talked in some detail about the psychological help he had received in the late seventies from psychologist Rudy Webster.
Anyone who has read anything I have written about West Indian cricket in the last several years, could not have been unaware of how much interest I have expressed in the mental aspect of the game, and the role that psychology can play in helping cricketers cope with the pressures that are part and parcel of this wonderful game. I was amazed at how frankly Sir Viv spoke of the help he received and the enormous benefits he gained not merely from psychology, but specifically from consultations with Rudy Webster. So often did I notice that my views on the subject were being ridiculed in the comment sections of the newspapers in which they were written, that I attempted to not use the word ‘psychologist’. The substitution of ‘professional help’ in confidence-building did not escape the scrutiny of those having fun.
What surprised me most is that more people of influence in cricket circles who must have been aware of the contributions that Rudy Webster likely made in improving the performances of West Indian cricketers in the period of dominance, have said virtually nothing about it.
I hope people of influence would read the article themselves, and join me to encourage the administrators to incorporate psychology as an integral component of the team structure ‒ commencing now.
Yours faithfully,
Romain Pitt
