Dear Editor,
I would love to have written today only about the tremendous victory the young West Indies team won at Kensington Oval last week. I never doubted the talent of young Caribbean cricketers. Indeed there was never any reason to question their abilities. West Indian fans should exult in their victory and urge management to keep them all in the fold so that the region can again become a real competitor in the international game which, incidentally will soon be more attractive to fans as the ICC moves away from the “Big Three” concept, and integrates the longer and shorter forms of the game in a manner that would make representing one`s country not be a sacrifice of epic economic proportions.
However, I am impelled to say more. An article by a respected West Indian sports journalist along the lines of the most unconscionable WICB decisions would not only make very interesting reading, but would be useful as a study in horrible people management by a sports organization. Of the more recent cases, that of Darren Bravo deserves special consideration, The West Indian cricket fraternity must not allow itself to regard the outcome of that case as acceptable, even at a time when we have a right to celebrate. Bravo was denied the opportunity to be selected to represent the region at a time when he was, if not the best, then certainly among the three best batsmen in the region. The region was denied the benefit of his talent in order to satisfy the ego of the WICB`s chairperson, who no doubt will feel vindicated by the wonderful performance of this young team without Bravo`s contribution. Fans must not forget that the young man and the entire region were punished because the former reacted angrily to a reduction in his already limited remuneration by a demotion from a pay category in which the president mistakenly believed he was. In a rational environment, the president would have instantly apologized rather than demand an apology from the player. We must not become inured to such indecency.
Yours faithfully,
Romain Pitt
