ON the Wednesday evening news, one sports commentator described the West Indies’ efforts against Zimbabwe as “imperious”, which I think is apt, for in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. For what is Zimbabwe in the scheme of international cricket but a group of minnows, a victory over whom is something to hardly gloat over, as this West Indies side and its administration
have been doing over the series.
But this misplaced sense of triumph
over an underdog side by the West Indies is nothing but the mark of a humiliated team trying to redeem
itself after the hiding it experienced
at the hands of the Australians
in the One Day series.
It’s no exaggeration to suggest this side was treated with utter disdain
in that series in Australia, so much so that the Australians extended
their contempt by choosing a lesser side to play us which the latter managed to pull off.
I may be accused of disloyalty but loyalty must be earned, and this West Indies side has shown no character in dealing with its obvious
shortcomings against telling opposition like Australia.
Instead of showing some remorse
after its hiding in that country,
looking to bounce back slowly, it chose instead to create a facade of superiority against a lesser opponent,
going further to work its insular
subterfuge by denying one of the most feared spin bowlers in the world in favour of another.
Good as the latter may be, he cannot earn his stripes against an inferior opposition like Zimbabwe, but this is the kind of illogic which comes out of West Indies cricket administration, and he may turn out to be the number one spinner in the team, taking as many wickets as he is while the best languishes outside the team, as much as the present West Indies captain who hardly deserved his place on the team, but has now cemented it because
of his illogically continuous retention despite his many failures.
For the first time a lover of West Indies cricket as myself switched stations when the cricket was playing
for the simple reason that there is no dignity or character in those who represent me and I would have wasted my loyalty in the desert air.
Dr Errol Benjamin
via e-mail