“West Indies cricket needs an Egypt-like revolution now!”

Feb 27, 2011 Sports

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By Colin E. H. Croft
“A little revolution, now and then, is a healthy thing; do you not think?” – Sean Connery, acting as Captain Marco Ramius in film’s adaptation of Tom Clancy’s excellent novel ‘The Hunt for Red October’.
“A little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing!” – Future, (No. 3), USA President, Thomas Jefferson, in a letter, circa 1787, to his immediate successor, (No. 4), President James Madison.
Now, if you saw the same game that I did when West Indies played South Africa last Thursday, I am very sure that you will agree that the time is now upon us for a very real revolution in West Indies cricket!
I will not even want to wait to the end of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.  West Indies are so damned desperately poor that something must be done, not tomorrow, but now, to change this sh..!!
Real West Indies cricket supporters should, like Tunisia and Egypt, start a revolution now, to remove the entire incompetent administration and players who represent us; make up numbers; but have no idea as to what is required.  We must get rid of this continuous, entire façade of failure and uselessness!
On the other hand, if you like what we have, then, like the sheep that most of you have been so far, who only bleat, bray and make useless noises, but do nothing to change this, then accept it like always.
If you like the representation that you are getting; gotten for so long; do nothing.   However, do not think of complaining ever again, as, obviously, as they say in these parts; “You really like it so!”
What utter absolute thrash!  South Africa did not even have to beat West Indies.  West Indies beat itself!    This unadulterated crap – I really cannot use the correct words here – that is our representative international cricket has gone on too long.  For nearly 20 years, if you count that first, significant beating Australia gave to us in 1995, we have been languishing, desperately, too long, in perpetual purgatory.
But, firstly, perhaps, we should simply replay a few optimum very recent moments of Windies cricket.   Ottis Gibson, present West Indies Head Coach, pronouncing his, and his squad’s, sentiments one week ago, before their Game No. 1 in ICC CWC 2011:  “It does not matter to us that we are rated so lowly in international cricket!”  This statement is both stupid and ignorant.  How idiotic can one really get?
It is obviously stupid because it sends no positive message to anyone, especially the players.  If you heard any supposed leader suggest such, would you think that whatever you do actually matters?
Nah!
It is ignorant since it is very obvious that Gibson does not even know that West Indies are now rated No. 9 of 10, after that hefty fall from being No. 1, 30 years ago.  Where has he been these last 20 years?    More to the point, does Gibson even understand excellence at all?  Does he really care, once he is paid?
I seriously doubt all of those things!  But, then, who am I?  Well, I will tell you.
While I do not normally boast of my cricket, I am only one of the best West Indies fast bowlers ever!   If you need clarification of that, please note that for two of my five or so years of playing for the West Indies, from 1976/7 to 1982/3, I was rated No. 1 of the world’s best bowlers; all bowlers; by ICC!
Facts and figures also show that I out-bowled all of my more illustrious partners when we played together, winning everything!
Gibson has never been involved in any excellence.  Can you please inform if, during his time as England’s bowling coach, if England was ever rated No. 1 in the world?  The answer is a deafening “No!”
To me, West Indies Head Coach Ottis Gibson is a fully trained, but obviously very ill-equipped quack!   Here is an idiot that has played 2 Tests; 3 wickets, avg. 91.66, and 15 ODI’s; 34 wickets; avg. 18.26, RPO 5.04, as poor as ever, telling the entire Caribbean that it does not matter at our lowly cricket rating.
No-one, except me, seems to mind this absolute drivel coming from someone who knows absolutely nothing about winning anything important, significant or useful, internationally!
Gibson probably has all of the ECB coaching qualifications.  How the hell do those help us exactly?
Qualifications do not make you smart.  They simply show that you can study to regurgitate information.  Most politicians, professionals and sportsmen too, are still jack-asses, despite myriad qualifications!
Okay!  Maybe you prefer captain Darren Sammy, just before the South African game:  “Our team is very much together.  That would have a direct bearing on our performances!”
Yeah, right!  I believe that too!  I also believe that on the next “Ides of March” – March 15 coming – I will feel like 18 when I become 58.  Imagination, knowledge, facts and beliefs are very often confused!
Jesus, I would hate to see WI play if they were at each other’s throats.  Conversely, perhaps they should try to kill each other.  They cannot play, or be any worse, than they did against South Africa!
Since when did it matter if you talked, or did not, to your team-mates, when it came to performances?  If you ain’t good, then no amount of ‘camaraderie’ will show up anything different.  You still ain’t good!
Sammy is like a diver going to the extreme depths of world cricket without a bell or oxygen tank.  He is gasping for air even before he descends into the fray; an average cricketer desperately out of his depth!
BTW, for such camaraderie, Sammy made no-score, and had 0-40 from 8 overs.  Only God could help us!
Even, perhaps you would prefer Dwayne Bravo, vice-captain of this holed ship headed fast for the rocks, with only one culmination possible:  “We know that the tournament will be really challenging, but we fancy our chances.  We are really working hard and there is a great comraderie in the camp.”
I fancy my chances of winning the damned lottery too!  To date, they have not materialized yet either!   I think that West Indies believe that they are playing against themselves!  Who else could really believe this utter tripe?    Perhaps WI have done the impossible.  They have managed to brain-wash themselves.  It seems so!
Gibson, Sammy and Dwayne Bravo are proverbial one-eyed men leading the blind Caribbean!
Against South Africa, West Indies last five wickets subsided for 44 runs, in 10 overs.  And these people profess to represent me and nearly eight million more!  Is this the best that we can do?
West Indies were not even good enough to last 50 overs, dismissed with 15 deliveries to be bowled!  At this rate, West Indies probably would not beat Holland!
How in hell’s name will they beat India?  Will they win any games at all?  Perhaps they should quit now, saving us all the embarrassment!
Enough is enough.  We need a revolution now.  I do not know about you.  I have known and seen too much excellence to accept this dribble.  I cannot take this anymore!  Enjoy!

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