Money, money and more money: The problem with West Indies cricket is money-or rather the lack of it

Tony Becca, FROM THE BOUNDARY

THE DEBATE concerning West Indies cricket and the way forward continues day after day and still nothing has happened to improve the performances of the once mighty Windies.

In spite of some encouraging performances here and there, now and then, it is the same story of the past 12 years or so. It is disappointment after disappoint-ment with the West Indies, based on their day-to-day performances, now ranked with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in batting, bowling and fielding. In fact, things have been so bad, and especially so in the fielding, that one wonders if they will ever return to the top or to the company of the best.

And those who doubt the present state of affairs have only to look at the records.

If they do, they will see that the West Indies have defeated only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe away from home for a long , long time. That they have been ranked at number eight, only above Zim-babwe and Bangladesh, for a long, long time, and that while opposing teams have enjoyed themselves by scoring in excess of 550 runs per innings many, many times against them in the past 12 years, they have been routed for many, many small scores - including 97 versus New Zealand, 82 against Australia, 61 versus England, 54 against England, 51 versus Australia and 47 against England.

The question, over these 12 years, has been what is wrong with West Indies cricket? Out of that question has come many answers - including those talking about the fact, or rather the possibility, that cricket is suffering because of baseball. That the players of today are not as good, not as talented, as those of earlier years, that the attitude of the players is such that they neither train nor practice as much as they should, and that there is rampant indiscipline in the team.

constant quarrel

The answers also point to the constant quarrel between the board and the Players' Association, to the poor image of the board, and while all of that, or most of that, with the exception of the talk about the lack of talent, may be true, the problem with West Indies cricket, or rather with cricket in the West Indies, is more than that.

The problem with West Indies cricket is money - or rather the lack of it.

We can talk until the cows come home, we can plan for as long as we want to, the fact is that until West Indies cricket or cricket in the West Indies finds some money, it will be a waste of time.

There is no question about it, the attitude of the players to training and practice needs to change. There is no question about it, the indiscipline of the players needs to change, and there is no question about it, the board needs to change its attitude towards the game and the players or step aside.

No change, no plan without money, however, will solve the problem.

In this day and age of professionalism, in a country like Jamaica where club footballers are paid, club cricketers are not paid even one cent; and it is more than that.

While footballers make some money representing their country, except for a few dollars, for a pittance, first-class cricketers in the Caribbean are not paid.

How then can one expect the players to train and practice to represent their clubs and their country - to be ready to represent the West Indies?

To play without some of sort of reward is asking a lot, and without that reward West Indies cricket is going nowhere - and for another simple reason.

experienced players

West Indies cricket needs its experienced players, be they Test players or not, to play the game at both the club level and the first-class level in order that, by playing with and against them, they may assist in the development of the young players.

In this day and age, however, when a player gets to age 25 or so and has not made the West Indies team where all the money is, he simply packs his bag and walk away in search of a livelihood. Either that or he continues playing but with little or no interest, little or no time to train and to practice.

knock up a century

With only youngsters or mostly youngsters playing club cricket and first-class cricket, the West Indies team will always comprise young, inexperienced players and they will always be easy pickings for the rest of the world - and especially so for teams like Australia, England and South Africa who have reservoir of experienced well trained and well developed mature players. Players like Michael Hussey and Matt Prior ready to step in and, as expected, to knock up a century immediately.

Another reason why money is so important to West Indies cricket is that with the opportunities to play in the County Championships almost now non-existent to their players, the West Indies need a longer first-class season, and that calls for money, plenty money.

The question is where the money will come from, and with the West Indies, partly because of the Future Tours system, partly because of their poor standard of play, not making as much money as they used to from tours, that is the problem.

One suggestion to the board is to get rid of their Territorial Development Officers who serve no purpose whatsoever and leave the development of young players to the territories. Another suggestion is to get rid of the foreign coaches and their entourage who cost too much money; and after contracting them at a salary that they can train and practice without worry, still another suggestion is to pay the West Indies players based on performance, collectively and individually.

After all, those who represent the West Indies are not the only ones who play cricket in the West Indies - and neither do they, like the clubs, nurse, groom and develop cricketers for the West Indies.