“The good, the bad, the ugly – What a week for West Indies cricket!”

Mar 11, 2012 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
Phew!  Last week was quite sad for West Indies cricket.  The absolute ‘bad’ was the shocking news that

one of my better younger friends in our cricket, Runako Shakur Morton, had died in a horrendous car crash on Trinidad & Tobago’s most dangerous roadway – Sir Soloman-Hochoy Highway.  Real sad indeed!
The very ‘ugly’ featured news that R. Allen Stanford, who had been so solidly involved in West Indies cricket for three years, had been convicted of fraud from his now confirmed, massive, Ponzi scheme.
To break the gloom, we had two definite ‘goods’ to savor; former West Indies captain, batsman extraordinaire, Sir Vivian Richards, batting well at three score, in years, while West Indies selectors, all things being considered, surprised with a reasonably positive team for the 1st three ODI’s v Australia.
Runako was extremely effervescent, one who always hailed you out where-ever you were.  I liked him much because he always seemed excited about everything about life.  While, like so many, he had real human situations and run-ins, he was, as many knew, as genuine as any rough diamond!
Born in Nevis – “Land of Beautiful Waters” – in the Leeward Island chain, it was never going to be easy for Runako to even play cricket for Leeward Islands, much less to appear for West Indies.  Yet he did, playing 15 Tests, 56 ODI’s, 7 T-20-I’s and 95 First Class games!  That was not a bad effort at all!
Playing for West Indies from 2002 to 2010, Runako followed the footsteps of countrymen;  leg-spinner Elquemedo Willett (1973 – 1975), off-spinner Deryck Parry (1978 – 1980), batsman Keith Arthurton (1988 – 1999), all-rounder Carl Tuckett (1998), batsman Stuart Williams (1994 – 2002); and he may have even been inspirational too to present young batsman Kieran Powell, who debuted in 2008.
When Runako and I last spoke, late last year, he was seriously confident that he could make it back to playing fully for West Indies.  He even suggested that he was so very much more settled, with a great wife and three wonderful kids, and was quite focused.  It is therefore more the massive pity that he did not live long enough; gone at only 33; to fully re-align that effort to exploit his real cricketing potential!
Anyway, unsurprisingly to me, at least, Stanford was found guilty of that “fraud of shocking magnitude that had spread its tentacles throughout the world,” stealing over US$7 billion from his clients.  If you recall, I wrote in February 2009 that I knew that ‘once United States of America Securities and Exchange Commission – US-SEC – gets its teeth into you – like Count Dracula – it is impossible to get out alive!’
Billionaires Sri Lankan Raj Rajaratman, who got eleven years for severe insider trading, raking in hundreds of millions, and American Bernie Madoff, who stole US$17 billion, recently found that out.  Bernie will likely die in jail.  Soon, he may have a worthy cell-mate, that ‘mini- Madoff’ himself, R. Allen!
Which brings us to that other most relative question:  How much is really enough?  If you have US$5 billion, what exactly do another five billion do for you?  How do these extra bobs excite and stimulate?
Like exploits of Australian Kerry Packer’s 1977-79 “World Series Cricket,” no-one in the Caribbean could forget the glitz, pizzaz and excitement that “Stanford Super Series” brought to these parts.  It was great fun, ground-breaking, and paid homage to several of our better cricketers, present and past.
What I find utterly amazing is what transpired since Stanford’s indictment.  Not one West Indian cricket person, player or administrator, past or present, those who benefited substantially from the man’s tremendous largesse, had the testicular fortitude to come out in support of their great benefactor.  All some did was to take the man’s money and run, while others may still be looking in banks for theirs too!
Ironically, many call me mercenary.  At least, I have always worked hard for whatever I earn, and, unlike the massive funds which Stanford bandied around to impress, while actually having none of his own to spend, I am sure that I have never ever been paid with what Guyanese call “tiefin money!”
Sometimes, you really should count your small blessings and not look any gift horses in the mouth!
Positively, March is possibly the best month of all, for this is the month that produced one of the very best; some say the best; batsmen that the world has seen – Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards.
Yes, I know that Julius Caesar was butchered on ‘The Ides of March’ – March 15.  Treachery did him in, but despite similar experiences, I am still here, yours truly also being born that same day, 59 years ago!
“Uncle Smokie” made 8540 runs; 121 Tests, avg. 50.23; played 187 ODI’s; 5644 runs, avg. 47.00; had 36212 First Class runs, avg. 49.40, and, not often noted, 32 Test, 223 First Class and 118 ODI wickets.
While all-round talents were obvious, it was the intangibles, characteristics that could not be measured, that made Sir Viv such a force.  He was always massively, dynamically, confident, and feared no-one!    It has been my great privilege that West Indies teams I played in also almost always included Sir Viv.  With justified accolades, few really fully understand his determination, as shown in Pakistan 1980/1.
It is one thing to make excellent centuries and double tons on more firm pitches in India, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies and England; something altogether more difficult to make real runs in Pakistan!
On dust-bowl pitches, except Lahore, back then, Viv battled Imran Khan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Iqbal Qasim, Abdul Kadir, Mohammed Nazir, Sikander Bakht, Ijaz Faqih and Wasim Raza, to lead batting averages.
He made West Indies only century on that tour of four Tests and three ODI’s – nine complete innings – 120 not out in total 249, in 4th Test at Multan – unbelievable batsmanship!  Hail, Sir Viv, not out at 60!
Back to the present, West Indies may have caught a massive break.  Australia’s ODI captain, prolific Michael Clarke, is so injured – hamstring – that he may miss all of the ODI series, so that he could recover enough to feature in the Test series, where he will be more needed.  Good luck for West Indies!
Fortunately too, West Indies have not played international cricket since November 2011.  Some – Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels and Andre Russell – had been involved in T-20 competitions around the world, but that should only make them more keen and ready for this fray!
Conversely, Australia could be much more tired, but also, possibly, more finely tuned too.  They have just beaten Sri Lanka in a tight three-match ODI final series, after a full home season, featuring India, in Tests and ODI’s.  This tour to West Indies and the following ODI series in England are postscripts!
West Indies selections have proved themselves recently.  It is especially pleasing that Tino Best is back, as I predicted weeks ago.  Similarly, Denesh Ramdin as wicket-keeper-batsman was a shoo-in!
If Sunil Narine and Devendra Bishoo bowl well, Darren Sammy, Darren Bravo, Pollard and batting stand up well, West Indies could indeed surprise Australia this ODI series.  They have much to gain!  Enjoy!

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