A STEADY couple suffering a minor financial crisis encountered a suave American billionaire who wanted to enjoy the physical thrill of the conquest without the tediousness and responsibilities of courtship. So the wealthy, lecherous ’suitor’ offered a million dollars for a fling with the man’s partner.

The scenario sounds like the 1993 movie, Indecent Proposal, which starred Robert Redford, Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson. Only it isn’t. It is the ’Stanford 20/20 for 20’ and the husband, who thought it a good idea to loan out his beloved, is the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and, by extension, the Caribbean.

But the Caribbean-and the England and Wales Cricket Board-will not be the only losers. The sanctity of marriage was brought into disrepute in the dramatic 1993 film and one feels that sport will be similarly cheated today; no matter the outcome in Antigua.

Eleven players, plus four reserves and backroom staff, leave Antigua tonight considerably wealthier for barely three hours work. One million (US) dollars each for members of the winning team with a million to split between the substitutes another million for the backroom staff is not pocket change.

The long lines for the local $11 million lottery draw tell its own story. I am not and never have been a fan of gambling. Yet I believe there is a fundamental difference between the citizens who discretely keep their lucky numbers close and the eleven West Indian cricketers who step on to the pitch today.

The Lottery Board does not publish its list of losers. They will remain anonymous, curse their bad luck and either move on or purchase another ticket. The lottery is catered for a sole winner yet its intention is not to humiliate the loser.

Sir Allen Stanford’s game is considerably different. There is no protection whatsoever for the losing players in the winner-take-all event; not even match fees. They will be ridiculed by a public anxious to see a bunch of ’pampered stars’ fall a notch or two.

The losing dressing room would be split between players who did well under unusual pressure and the poor saps who dropped a catch worth in excess of US $11 million to the squad, lost his wicket with a wild swipe or bowled a wide at the death.

Forget images of Brazilian legend Pele comforting English football captain Bobby Moore in the 1974 World Cup tournament and picture instead the tearful disintegration or obscene rant of a guest eliminated from ’Big Brother’.

Whether or not Stanford intended it to be this way, his competition will surely be closer to reality television than sport.

In sport, which deceased local writer CLR James likened to ’physical art’ in his famous Beyond A Boundary, the athletes are revered and the contest is, first and foremost, honourable.

There is only one star in Antigua and his name is not Chris Gayle or Kevin Pietersen.

It was probably fitting that the build-up to today’s fixture was dominated by news of Stanford’s behavior such as his unannounced visits to the teams’ dressing rooms and his regular appearances on camera during the games-his most famous televised appearance was done with England wicketkeeper Matt Prior’s pregnant wife on his lap and his arm around two other players’ girlfriends.

Stanford apologised for the indiscretion.

’It was a harmless and fun thing,’ he told the BBC media. ’It was nothing more than that.’

He might has well have been speaking about the entire tournament and it is anything but.

In Beyond A Boundary, James’ expressed hurt at the exodus of the Caribbean players to the English county leagues for financial reason. He might have had a dim view then on the region’s most exciting talent seemingly being used as a rich man’s play thing.

’It is accepted that the athlete, the entertainer, the orator, is spurred to excel himself by the applause and excitement of his audience,’ wrote James. ’Anyone who has participated in an electoral campaign or observed closely key figures in it will have noted how a speaker, eyes red with sleeplessness and sagging with fatigue, will rapidly recover all his power at an uproarious welcome from an expectant crowd.’

But today’s event is not for the cricket fans or even the participating nations. There will be no calypsos song for the winning team or civic reception in their honour. And the viewers would not believe that either side represents their nation’s pride or are fighting for sporting greatness.

The spectators only wish to see how far a man would go for a million dollars in the same way that people tune in to ’Fear Factor’ to see what new crass humiliation is in store for the cash-hungry guests. Reality television is about persons degrading themselves so that viewers can feel a little better about their own lives-a bit like slowing down at the scene of an accident to see the type of vehicle involved or deliberate on the idiot responsible from the safety of your own car.

Can Dave Mohammed project his free spirited attitude in such a contest? Would Kieron Pollard wilt? Will Shivnarine Chanderpaul be as steady when he knows that he is playing for his own pension?

Stanford was defiant when he spoke to the BBC.

’It is a spectacle not a farce,’ he said.

It certainly is not sporting and should that not be the point?

In ’Indecent Proposal’, the couple could not forget the shame of the extra-marital tryst and the husband succumbed to his insecurities about whether his love preferred the billionaire’s company. They split up but, after painful soul searching, agreed to reunite.

Tellingly, this was after the American billionaire realized that his riches could not quite extract the essence of a loving relationship and stepped aside.

’We play to have fun here,’ said Stanford, as he tried to pass himself off as a sage on West Indies cricket. ’It is like cricket, a birthday party and New Year’s Eve wrapped in one.’

There are too many people in this relationship and too little respect for sport. It will end in tears.