Australian Physio/Trainer Joins the Team

An Aussie bloke name C.J Clark has joined the West Indies Cricket Team as the new physiotherapist/trainer. He is (not originally) from Australia and is a pal of John Dyson. Shades of BK here, but what do we expect!

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The Longest Name in Test Cricket?

Uda Walawwe Mahim Bandaralage Chanaka Asanka Welegedara

This is Sri Lanka's newest test payer! Let's see how the commentators will deal with this.


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The WICB Disorganisation is Staggering!

At least so says Tony Cozier:
"The situation bore the unmistakable stamp of customary West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) bungling.

Pedro Collins and Daren Ganga arrived at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport by British Airways from London early yesterday morning, after their 36-hour journey from the Caribbean, expecting to join the West Indies squad that had flown in the previous evening from Zimbabwe for the forthcoming tour of South Africa.

They found no one on hand to meet them, had no idea where the team was, carried no contact numbers for West Indies or Cricket South Africa (CSA) officials and no instructions to advise them of their next move.

Fortunately, I was at the airport at the time and could offer some help."

New President, new CEO ..... Has anything really changed? Ah well.....

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Patterson Committee Calls for Audit of Club Cricket

THE PATTERSON Committee set up to look at the governance of West Indies cricket is not at all happy with the current state of club cricket across the Caribbean and has called on the ruling West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to set up an audit of the state of club cricket.

The committee headed by former Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson and including Sir Alister McIntyre and Dr Ian McDonald had a dim view of club cricket in the Caribbean at present.

The committee cited that the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) in a recent document outlining its formula for success in South African cricket stated that they desperately need strong clubs because they are the between schools first class competitions.

They also remarked that if clubs are not competing at a level that is inspirational to young players, investment in their development programme is lost.

A lot of preliminary word was done between 2004 and 2005 to look at the existing club structure. Proposals were in place to build clusters of clubs and schools, train coaches at the club level, establish a mechanism to accredit clubs, etc. This, like everything else, was ignored by Ken Gordon and his team. I doubt whether there is anyone at the Secretariat who knows about this work or who understands what needs to be done.

So, we continue to do nothing, notwithstanding the "ole" talk, spin top in mud and try to reinvent the wheel

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Corneal Slams WICB

Source: The Trinidad Guardian

FORMER Trinidad and Tobago national cricketer and footballer Alvin Corneal has slammed the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for their poor administration of the game regionally.

Corneal said, “The West Indies cricket team that was selected recently is a reflection of the board and this has led me to believe that we are going nowhere fast.

“After Ken Gordon exited office, there was ample time for the WICB to study the Patterson Report. They did not do it and I am of the opinion that this document could make a great difference in West Indies cricket.”

“The board had a chance to remove the selection committee but they didn’t. Gordon Greenidge and Andy Roberts were great players in their time but this does not make them good selectors."

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For those who want an honest and frank analysis of the fall of West Indies Cricket, go here:

http://content-wi.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/323713.html

I concur with much of what the writer opines, particularly as it relates to the "Legends":

"Past players blame the administration but it's a cop-out. Too many of them queue up for the handouts provided by past fame and present sponsors. Too few of them serve in the confronting fields where players are made and broken. As far as West Indian cricket is concerned, the seeds of destruction were sown even as the victories continued in the 1980s. Bad habits set in but they did not seem to matter.

West Indian cricket and cricketers must carry the can for their own collapse. It has not been caused by basketball or soccer or even the weakness of administration (not that officials can escape censure)."

Perhaps we should take the time and do some serious introspection and focus on the message rather than the messenger.

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The Great Murali!

Congratulations are in order. I hope they all stop this nonsense about chucking and recognise Murali as the very great bowler and gentleman he is.

Perhaps there is a lesson in this for the WICB. Give our spinners a chance!

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