The journey and the dream has begun

Feb 08, 2009 Sports

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By Rawle Welch
& Freddie Kissoon

The last time a West Indies cricket team commenced a tour with so much positive statements being splashed across the pages of the mainstream media of the Caribbean has to be quite a few tours back. And we are talking about the sunshine days when we were unbeatable.
For quite sometime, the current crop of West Indian cricketers have promised so much and delivered so little that many ardent fans declared nothing else could possibly be done to take our cricket back to the level of world supremacy it enjoyed for almost 15 years. This of course is putting it mildly. It was no exaggeration to say that prior to West Indies’ phenomenal performance yesterday our miserable balance sheet had caused West Indian youths from Jamaica in the North to Guyana in the South to look to other sports, particularly basketball and football.
Not even the recent encouraging performance against New Zealand when we drew the Test series and narrowly lost the one-dayers should have prompted so many confident expressions bearing in mind this is a team that plays well today and then perform with unbelievable incompetence a few days later.
Facing an English team that many of their former great cricketers openly expressed was using this tour as a warm-up for the celebrated Ashes Series against Australia in the summer; the West Indians, possibly with the exception of one session, completely outplayed their opponents that left many of their supporters and ex-cricketers dumbfounded as they routed them for 51 runs in their second innings to complete an innings and 23 runs win. A small point needs to be mentioned – yesterday’s result was England’s third lowest total in the history of its cricket.
During the fourth day’s play, a fan displayed a placard with the words ‘Yes WI can’ perhaps in reference with those now famous words; ‘Yes we can’ that US President Barack Obama spoke at his victory speech and it appropriately signified the outstanding performance of the West Indies team.
The long and dreary road that resulted in many dismal results now seems to have come to an end and even though it is just the start of the series, if we can speak more positive words then it could serve its rightful purpose and ignite a team that has been longing for such positive vibes.
We anticipate that readers on digesting this viewpoint would take one of two attitudes. We are just celebrating a victory that brought us mental ease so we are just amplifying our victory yesterday. Secondly, there is the cynical perception that West Indian cricket is a pendulum that erratically swings.
But at some point the climb has to be made. Has the ascent begun? We can only answer that question by dissecting the individual performances.
There are dimensions in those performances that we believe point to the positive journey that has been undertaken. One – Jerome Taylor’s fiver was as good as any paceman’s achievement in the history of cricket.
Two- Suleiman Benn’s may be the incarnation of Guyana’s Lance Gibbs. A spinner has taken in rightful place in the West Indian line up. Thirdly, West Indian centurions have returned.
Fourthly, Brendan Nash, despite his age, has provided that lower order stability that was long needed.
Fifthly, looking at the West Indies in this first test, one could have seen team spirit in their eyes and in the body language. Surely, these were characteristics we in the sporting community lamented for so long.
Then we can speak of how admirably the batters endured and stuck to their game-plan when they were in the middle and the improved discipline and technical application that were on display in the bowling.
These were some of the attributes that had eluded West Indies cricket for so long which came to the fore during this match and let us not forget the input of Coach John Dyson, who it was reported implored his players to pay more attention to reading the game and understanding the current scenarios.
It must be remembered that Taylor has gone down in West Indian cricket history as the only specialist fast bowler to have made a century, as so aptly described by cricket historian, Guyanese professor, Winston Mc Gowan.
Taylor credited his fantastic achievement to coach Dyson’s faith in him and his constant advice. So even in the coaching department, we are seeing the huge signs of resuscitation.
Dyson emphasized that they will have to move away from the natural flambouyant style that typifies the West Indian approach and inculcate the culture of enduring patience both with the bat and ball. Yesterday we saw that in graphic display.
Not many great things are happening in the West Indies at the moment save for the genius of Usain Bolt who took several photo opportunities at the ground with the other Jamaican who is riding high in the island, the West Indian captain Chris Gayle.
Without a doubt, yesterday at Sabina Park was a moment of joy for every one of us who inhabits the territories known as the West Indies. The journey has started. The dream is taking shape. May West Indian cricket dominate the world once more! Yes we can! Yes we will!

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