Two years ago, the Jamaica Gleaner, one of the West Indies’ oldest and most respected newspapers, seriously advocated in an editorial following the West Indies’ indifferent performances in the first World Cup staged on their own patch that the subsequent tour of England be cancelled, that they withdraw from international assignments for three years and undertake only matches against ‘A’ teams while systems were put in place to raise standards to previous levels.
-English weather denies Windies of a kick-starting revival
When the West Indies were last in England in 2007, they enjoyed the consolation of a 2-1 triumph in the three ODIs that followed their 3-0 defeat in the four Tests.
‘Modern West Indians, with flawed techniques cultivated in sub-standard regional cricket and with little or no experience of county, even league cricket found it impossible to cope’
The defeat in the second Test, completed quarter-hour after lunch yesterday, was as swift, embarrassing and emphatic and was brought about by the same factors as those at Headingley in 2000 and 2007.
At least, and at last, some gumption, some of the fight that had gone out of the West Indies as early as the first afternoon of the first Test when they spilled six catches and allowed England to break free from a precarious position.
This was a throwback to the bad old days.
As West Indian wickets tumbled at Lord’s yesterday – four off six balls in one frenetic period, seven for 29 off 41 balls before an irrelevant 24 from the last pair – dark memories were evoked of double digit totals and two and three day losses.
The West Indies finally got their captain back yesterday.
Two weeks into the team’s tour of England and a couple of days behind his originally scheduled date of arrival, Chris Gayle flew into Heathrow Airport after an overnight, 14-hour flight from South Africa where he was playing in the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The sight of captain Chris Gayle using the aid of a runner has become worryingly familiar for the West Indies and it recurred yesterday just a week before the first Test against England at Lord’s.
To the medically ignorant, or just plain cynical, the reason given by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for the omission of so vital a player from the team for the two forthcoming Tests in England is illogical.
Players on the forthcoming tour of England April 21-May 26 have been offered what the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) described yesterday as “a significantly higher payment” than for similar tours.
The grossly underpaid first-class players in regional cricket are to receive an increase of more than 300 per cent in match fees, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) indicated yesterday in a statement to the media.
THERE was one obvious reason for the disappointing climax to an otherwise heartening Digicel series for the West Indies at the Beausejours Stadium on Friday.
Cozier on Sunday
Kensington Oval rocked to the demolition of England by the West Indies’ aggressive bowling, sharp, sure-handed fielding and the breathtaking power of Chris Gayle’s mighty bat on Friday.
Cozier on Sunday
LESS than a week ago, the troubled face of West Indies cricket, for so long wreathed in the wrinkles of on-field mediocrity, administrative ineptitude and uncompromising player power, at last wore the smile of success and optimism.
By Tony Cozier
At KENSINGTON OVAL
As England batted through the last day of the fourth Test for the predictable draw yesterday, the West Indies would have, should have, brooded over one of cricket’s most relevant maxims.
The demolition of England’s second innings of the first test of the current Digicel series by the West Indies at Sabina Park revealed a new ruthlessness.