What is going on?

[greg]

Never heard of half of the new squad to tour Sri Lanka,Sort it out WICB.

[Mongoose]

I would really hate to be a West Indies fan right now. Considering where they were 15 years ago, it's very sad to see the shambles that has surrounded the Caribbean over the past few years. Lack of players with talent, lack of guidance for the players, lack of management of the West Indies test and domestic scene. Infighting and finger pointing seem to be the order of the day. The future looks bleak, and I can see the West Indies slumping to the bottom of the pile for a very long time.

[Lemming]

One problem which I heard that West Indian cricket suffers is the lure of higher paid American sports. Apparently the more sporty West Indian children are taking up Basketball instead of fast-bowling, which is a bit of a shame.

I'm not to clued up with the whole contract and tour thing to comment and point fingers. Who's fault is it?

[Ninjaman]

Originally Posted by Lemming

One problem which I heard that West Indian cricket suffers is the lure of higher paid American sports. Apparently the more sporty West Indian children are taking up Basketball instead of fast-bowling, which is a bit of a shame.

And it is the lamest excuse ever offered too.

The lure of higher paid American sports has always been there, so how then did we dominate for the best part of 15 years??

And where are the top WI basketball players or national basketball teams??

Historically, the WI player has always been the lowest paid of all the major Test nations players.

Cricket is by far and away a larger particpant and spectator sport in all Caribbean islands than Basketball ever has been and probably ever will be.

These lazy excuses (I mean those who start them, not you, are lazy) are continually tossed out to cover over the fact that our boards (national and regional) continue to treat our players like amateurs and expect professional results.

The WICB has been run so incompetently that it has become cash strapped.

As such it has signed away the very right to do the only thing it actually exists to do i.e. pick the strongest WI eleven available.

[Nightwatchman]

I've recently been reading an original edition of Manley's 'History of West Indies Cricket' which I picked up in a second-hand book shop It is poignant that the book's story closes in the late eighties just before the decline set in. Hopes and expectations are expressed for the future which are ironic in view of what has actually happened.

My impression of a current Windies 1st XI is that much of their batting have the talent but not as yet the right temperament. The bowling unfortunately appears destined to have to await the next generation for a recovery. Is that fair comment or is the problem there fundamentally temperamental too? Are there Windies pace bowlers with the potential to average in the mid-twenties per wicket?

[Beny]

Australia has more competition from other sports than WI does...

[Ninjaman]

The difference is our players are AMATEURS were the better teams are PROFESSIONALS.

Manley's book was naturally going to be optimistic.

That was how "Joshua" as we knew him was.

However, the optimism he had for us and our futures was not shared with our neighbours to the north.

The decline in our cricket is only mirroring the decline in our economies, society, fortunes etc...