Older folks will probably remember that title from the blockbuster comedy from the 1960s. The film opens with a car being driven at high speed on a lonely freeway in the Southern California desert, when suddenly the driver, recently released after fifteen years in jail, loses control and careens off a cliff. Occupants from four cars, the witnesses to the accident, descend to provide assistance. Smiler Grogan, the ex-con is badly injured and whilst gasping his last breath, reveals to the astonished onlookers that he has buried the loot of $350,000 from a job, under a big ‘W’ in a park in Santa Rosita.
The group of motorists, audience to Drogan’s confession, tell the police who arrive on the scene that the man was raving and didn’t mention anything of importance. Later on, they meet up, try to reason with each other for a fair share, but the discussion quickly unravels, as they are all too greedy to divide the money equally, with every one demanding a bigger share if they find the loot first. A rambunctious race then ensues across the state, as the ‘unwitting legatees’ make a mad dash for the cash.
Observing the ensuing madness is Captain Culpepper, a Santa Rosita precinct commander on the verge of retirement and who had been tracking Drogan for years. The motorists’ erratic behaviour confirms his suspicions that Drogan has told them about his hidden cache. Culpepper then plots to separate the treasure hunters from the loot.
Had Drogan driven off one of the many mountainous roads in one of the islands in the Windward or Leeward archipelagos last week, he might have instead pleaded with his final audience to help save West Indies cricket.
Is there actually any hope for the future of West Indies as a Test playing nation? Its record from the turn of the century is way beyond the point of embarrassment. In fifty-seven completed series, the West Indies have managed to win (not counting wins against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, the last entrants to Test cricket), just four series, all at home, with one victory each over Pakistan, India, England and New Zealand. In that epoch, their overall record is 31 wins-88 losses-48 draws, (with 14 of those wins coming against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh), with just two Test match wins over South Africa and a solitary victory over Australia.
Winners of the first two One Day International limited overs tournaments, The Prudential Cup in 1975 and 1979, (light years ago), now find themselves in the embarrassing position of most likely having to play in a ten team qualifying tournament in Bangladesh in March/April 2018 with the likes of Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Netherlands for a shot at one of two possible places in the 2019 ICC World Cup to be hosted by England and Wales. What will be the reaction if they fail to advance from this qualifying tournament?
Let’s not delude ourselves with the two ICC Twenty20 trophies won in 2012 and 2016. This version of the game of cricket has taken the world by storm with leagues springing up all over the world, but at the end of the day it doesn’t lend itself to the overall improvement of the standard of the cricketer’s game. This form of entertainment, after all it is entertainment, presents a huge (dis)attraction for the modern day player with its brief hours and enormous pay cheques.
The fans, the players and the Board now find themselves like the motorists in A Mad Mad Mad Mad World chasing the same prize, but all wanting to get there in the shortest possible route. Unfortunately, there are no short cuts to the top of the cricketing world.
The dwindling pool of fans, those of which remain true to the cause, deserve our utmost admiration for their loyalty. An off-chance question to a 23 year old second year University of Guyana student sparked a series of interesting observations. In response to a query if he knew what the score was during a recent Test match, he mused, Cricket? I don’t watch or follow in any form. Not even T20? No. Have you ever played as a kid? No. Any particular reason? All of my life, all they [the team] have done is lose. An entire generation has grown up knowing nothing else but perennial losing.
Which brings us to the current group of players who have endured a similar childhood like the university student. What has this cycle of losing done to their psyche? Do they think that they can compete with the Australians and South Africans? Or are they resigned to defeat even before they step on the field? Too young to appreciate the glory years, how does one bridge the gap to the present generation? Who are the role models for them to emulate? Their performances on the field aside, the off-field conduct of some of the recent crop of the on-the-way-out-of-the-door representatives of the region could only have made the diehard fan want to hang his/her head in shame.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), or more in particular its president, one Dave Cameron, seems to have acquired the understanding that the Board is the star of the show. Recently, returned unopposed for a third four-year term, he has resisted all attempts to bring the Board in line with the rest of the cricketing world. Recommendations by committees are completely ignored or shelved for later, attempts by Caricom Heads of Government to intervene are stoutly resisted, as the Board now registered in the British Virgin Islands utilizes all legal avenues to maintain the stranglehold on the game in the region. The Board, appears to the man in the street, to be like a time capsule which has been carefully sealed by a group of highly skilled masons. One can only wonder what the brotherhood has lodged in the vault.
As the Board continues to spin its ever-revolving door of coaches, the slide continues and the protests come from all quarters. Darren Bravo, the current best Test batsman called out Cameron on Twitter, and was quite rightly suspended for his actions. He must have known that they were going to be consequences (he had to be aware of what had happened to the late Tony Cozier who had also criticized the WICB head), yet he stood up to Cameron and expressed his opinion.
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Keith Rowley, a few weeks ago, claimed that a clique had hijacked West Indies cricket, and Sir Viv Richards, West Indian cricket legend continues to blast the board over its poor handling of the game at every opportunity.
The Big W was formed by four palm trees growing in the shape of a W in the park. As the coconut trees sway in the Caribbean breeze today, the Board Wallows in its ego, the players will try to start Winning Tests again, the loyal fans Wait patiently.
When the loot is eventually found in the film, Culpepper introduces himself as an officer of the law, confiscates the money and recommends to the beleaguered group of treasure hunters that they turn themselves in.
Soon after, a mad scramble prevails and all the money is blown away.
