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The state of our cricket not related to the state of our economy

Jun 10, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
A few weeks ago, a former National Youth Cricketer now a popular Cricket Writer and Commentator stated in his column, that the poor spectator turn out at the National Cricket Stadium is partly to be blamed on the economic state of the country; but his comments or statement is based purely on inaccurate considerations. But while many would concede that the current state of the economy is not that healthy, we are surely seeing that bright light at the end of the tunnel.
The quality of West Indies Cricket at present has left much to be desired, and until or unless the players’ performance improve those many empty seats will always be there; while it is my view that the selectors are giving it their best shot, the players themselves are not there yet. In the end we should support them.
I was fortunate to see all the test matches and limited overs played at the historical Bourda Cricket Ground, once described as a billiard table and happy hunting ground for batsmen, from the 1965 Australian Tour, a team regarded by many as the best Australian Test Team. It comprised Bobby Thompson, Bill Lawry, Graham McKenzie and Wally Grout. But they were evenly matched by Gary Sobers, Rohan Khanai, Wesley Hall and Jackie Hendricks; and Bourda used to be always full to capacity.
Because of the distance and the mode of transportation available in those days the people from the regions geographically situated far from Georgetown used to ensure they travelled the day before, cramped into hotels or at the home of relatives or friends; to be in the line to purchase tickets as early as 05:00 hrs. It was worth the wait then; a trend that continued for decades.
In the Caribbean cricket will always be our number one sport, particularly in Guyana. I will not mention what to my mind is responsible for the rapid and consistent decline of our cricket in this letter, but definitely in subsequent ones. Cricket regionally and internationally is competing for the advertising dollar and sponsorship, with other sports, and we have to produce batsmen at least half as good as Brian Lara, and Shiv Chandarpaul, bowlers half as good a Walsh, Holding, Marshall and Garner and wicket/keeper batsman as dependable as Dujon, then and only then we will get back to winning ways and our stadium not only here in Guyana but across the region will again be full to capacity.
A lot of people mainly our youths prefer to remain in the confines of their homes and look at basketball matches featuring Curry, James, Westbrook or Durant, or look at football match in Spain with Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo and Bale and a host of others. It is my belief also that a show at the Providence Stadium featuring a Trinidadian Chutney Singer of a Jamaican reggae artiste, the stadium will be filled. I am again saying the economy has nothing to do with it.
Archie W.Cordis

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