Ryan's take on the Bravo Appointment

Here’s a tip to cricket writers in the Caribbean: Call the WICB and ask why the nomination of Dwayne Bravo for the vice captaincy was sent back to the selection panel. Then, follow your nose, and follow up by asking if the squad for South Africa has been picked yet. Wonder to yourself if Ganga is included in that squad. Keep sniffing…

I’m way too busy to write the story but if you re-read the paragraph above, you can figure out the shenanigans.

Ryan Patrick (caribbeancricket.com)

Bravo Named Vice Captain

Dwayne Bravo has been named Vice Captain of the West Indies team for their tour to Zimbabwe beginning on November 30. This is a big gamble as Dwayne has very little experience in this area. One would have thought that the Board would go for more experience and I do not believe that learning on the job is the way to go, even if it is Zimbabwe.

The appointment of a Vice Captain is not necessary. There is enough experience, including Shiv, who could act in place of Gayle if required.

'Pee Wee' Wong Passes On

Noted cricket scorer and statistician Mervyn "Pee Wee" Wong passed away Wednesday night after complications from a stroke. Pee Wee had become a household name in Cricket circles.

Here's hoping that the relevant authorities, WICB and others, give Pee Wee the recognition he deserves.

Team to Zimbabwe and SA

The West Indies team to Zimbabwe and SA looks more like an 'A' Team than a test team and I can only wish them well. But all is not well.

The Trinidad Guardian reported that GUYANESE middle order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan is a disappointed man after he was overlooked as captain for the tour of South Africa next month. According to the Guardian, sources close to the situation revealed that Sarwan has not taken this news good at all and is feeling slighted by the WICB.

According to the source :”Problems continue to plague West Indies cricket on the off the field and the way the West Indies Cricket Board has dealt with this issue leaves a lot to be desired - it is very unfortunate.”

The more things change, the more they remain the same!

Hogg: Cricket in the West Indies is Gone Forever!

FORMER Test paceman Rodney Hogg has slammed international and West Indian officials for failing to use the World Cup to begin rebuilding there and said the game was so far gone in the region that it could never recover. Link here..

"For me, though, the West Indies are the disappointment. They are a shell of what they used to be. It's been a very long time since they showed anything remotely inspiring.

"They don't get crowds, so the kids aren't playing the game. It is hard to see how they will get themselves back because there is just nothing there to build on."

The plight of the West Indies reflects the dwindling popularity of cricket with local youth. Most young athletes prefer soccer or basketball to cricket, with the lure of US university scholarships a major factor.

Hogg, 56, was scathing of the game's administration for allowing the situation to deteriorate to such a point, with the World Cup there this year proof of where priorities lie for many officials.

"The World Cup was the last chance they had to grab the public's imagination and do something special," Hogg said.

"Instead, they turned it into a blatant money-grabbing venture. Ticket prices were out of reach of fans, so attendances were terrible. There was none of the traditional Caribbean atmosphere. Those games could have been played anywhere in the world."

Sad to say, but Hogg may be right. Certainly. he has identified the root causes which our administrators have failed to do. He is correct about CWC 2007 although officials there continue to blow their own trumpet.

Gayle named Captain, Lloyd is Manager

According to the usually knowledgeable and informative caribbeancricket.com, Mike Findlay has lost his job as manager of the West Indies team. The report goes on to say that:

"At a meeting of its board of directors, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) today chose Clive Lloyd to replace Findlay for the upcoming tours to Zimbabwe and South Africa. The board also named opener Chris Gayle as the captain in place of the injured Ramnaresh Sarwan."

The first statement is incorrect. I spoke with Findlay during the KFC final four and he was clear that he would not be able to make the tour. He told me that the tour was too long and for family and business reasons he would not be available. I am certain that he would have communicated this to the WICB.

What is distressing is that the WICB seems to be playing yo yo with this position. They need to settle on a Manager and contract him/her for a period not less that 2 years. OR they could, as I have recommended, dispense with the position of Manager, create a position of Team Operations Officer full time employed at the Secretariat and make the Coach the de jure head honcho for the team.

Dyson to miss Zimbabwe series

NEWLY APPOINTED coach of the West Indies cricket team John Dyson is going to miss the team’s tour of Zimbabwe that gets going on November 30.

According to reports in today's press, newly appointed WICB Coach, John Dyson, will not be available for the camp and the tour but the source could not give a reason why.

“Dyson is not with the team at the camp and will not be in Zimbabwe, he is expected to take up his duties for the South African leg of the African tour.”

As a result the WICB has summoned T&T’s David Williams and Henderson Springer of Barbados to carry on coaching duties at the camp. The source added that Williams and Springer as likely to be asked to accompany the team to Zimbabwe, until Dyson takes up the role thereafter.

Dyson's unavailability is an internal matter of the WICB and one hopes that they were aware of this when his appointment was announced. My question is - how come our boys (Williams and Springer) are good enough to act as stop gaps, yet not good enough to secure full-time appointments? This insult must stop.

Tough Talk from the WICB President

“When it comes to the coaching, a new era has dawned. If you are not coaching properly, go [back] where you come from, it’s a new day…performance-based. If you do not perform, at whatever level, including the presidency, you cannot continue. Nobody must feel comfortable that this is just another job, it’s performance. You go out there and perform, when you perform, you are guaranteed of your place.” Read more here...

Haven't we heard this before? let us hope that a new era has dawned.

However, it would be a mistake to hold the Coach responsible for the state of our cricket and we must avoid looking for scapegoats. How is the system being changed? What about cricket in schools? What about coaching education? What about putting the right people in the right positions? What about the club structure? What about governance at the regional and local levels? What about the development of women's cricket? What about the Patterson report?

Woman referees KFC Cup match

Viola Rowe has become the first woman in the Caribbean to act as match referee in a senior regional match, when she officiated in the KFC Cup game between Guyana and Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Providence Stadium.

"My love for the game has caused me to get involved in match refereeing," Rowe told the Saturday Sun Sports. "At this age, I can't get involved in playing and I don't really like umpiring. I'm comfortable with it [match refereeing]."

Congratulations to Viola. Let us hope that this is the breakthrough for women's cricket that we have been waiting on for several years.

Patterson Committee wants cricket on schools' curriculum

The Patterson Committee set up to look at the governance of West Indies cricket is calling on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to lobby the regional governments to have the game included on the schools' curriculum.

Looking ahead, the committee said the board should continue with the Scotiabank Kiddy cricket which caters for ages between eight and 11, and also schools, clubs, and territorial boards should cooperate to ensure as much as possible that talented secondary school players join clubs when they leave school.

Read more....

This is nothing new but merely reflects the appalling inefficiencies of the WICB Administration and lack of vision. There is already a Teachers Manual for teaching Cricket in schools (titled 'Clarence Goes to School") and an accompanying coaching manual. A lot of work and training was done with the Ministries of Education in every WICB member territory. There are several papers on this topic and how cricket could be integrated into the physical education curriculum and proposals on building a nexus (clusters) between primary and secondary school and cricket clubs.

A lot of work has already been done. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.