Roger Sawh

Give Chanderpaul his farewell

The batsman has been unceremoniously dropped and the public may never see him play another Test. It might not be too late for the WICB to fix that

Roger Sawh

28-May-2015

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I pen this piece in frustration.

As the cricket world is no doubt aware, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, one of the most beloved cricketers in the history of West Indies cricket, has not been selected for the two-Test home series against Australia. Subsequently, news broke that Chanderpaul's non-selection is, for all intents and purposes, permanent. His career has been abruptly ended - ipso facto.

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The crab who would be king

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, despite his one-of-a-kind technique and because of his steely grit, sits on the brink of surpassing Brian Lara as West Indies' greatest ever run maker

Roger Sawh

22-Apr-2015

In literature it is said that there is a limited number of basic plots that exist. Every story, regardless of the setting or the quirks, can be distilled into one of just a handful of templates.

Cricket is no stranger to compelling storylines. Through organised competition, evolving situations become animated by players - good or evil, as dictated by your allegiances - in the pursuit of victory.

My favourite type of story is that of the unlikely hero. It is the tale of the unconventional player who carves out an impressive place in history through his exploits. He is not supposed to succeed; he is an outlier. He makes a living out of defying conformists and converting disbelievers, and disturbs the natural order, eventually making pundits reconsider what is "right" or "wrong".

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Why cricket needs greater context

The points earned from one-day series should count towards qualification for the next World Cup, so the game's new fans stay engaged

Roger Sawh

11-Mar-2015

One of the great charms of the cricket World Cup is that it happens only once every four years. Like the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup, there is a sense of excitement that comes with the rarity of having the nations of the world gathered at a marquee event for a common pursuit.

For ardent followers of the game, the build-up to the tournament has a peculiar appeal - captaincy grooming, squad selection, efficient Powerplay strategies and dot-ball percentages on different wickets are riveting for the cricket "geek" in us. For the casual observer, the tournament means a particular month of keener-than-usual attention to the sport. For the newcomer, the World Cup is a transitory sampling of an esoteric game.

As a student in south-eastern Canada, I have been approached by at least a dozen friends asking for my thoughts on this year's tournament (since they are aware that I am one of the aforementioned "geeks"). They have no cricket-following past, yet from Ireland's upset win ("So, are West Indies supposed to be one of the good teams?") to India v Pakistan's one billion-plus audience ("That's more than the Super Bowl!") to the length of the matches ("I thought each game lasted a week!"), cricket has piqued a new interest base.

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The gloom of the West Indies fan on World Cup eve

The lead-up to the tournament is one of happy anticipation for most teams; not so for the one from the Caribbean

Roger Sawh

12-Feb-2015

I'm getting pretty darn tired of the World Cup.

Every single day, across cricketing media, it seems as if the only topic on peoples' minds is how things will play out over the next few weeks. Will Australia or New Zealand be able to emulate India and win a home tournament? Can South Africa banish their bogey? Does any subcontinental team have what it takes to shake things up?

Give me a break! Mention of the World Cup leaves me disillusioned and upset, gnashing my teeth and rolling my eyes, because through sun and rain, I am a West Indies supporter.

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I bowled to them, look where they are now

Ever get the feeling you're sharing in the success of a top-level cricketer you may have played with or against growing up?

Roger Sawh

25-Dec-2014

Dr Stephen Hawking, world-renowned theoretical physicist, suggested that there may be an infinite number of parallel universes in existence. That would mean that there might be a universe in which I am a better batsman than Brian Lara. And another where I can bowl 100mph yorkers at the toes of helpless batsmen.

The universe from which I compile this piece is neither of those.

Like the overwhelming majority of fans, I am destined to merely watch top-flight cricket over the course of my life and fantasise about the glory of earning an international cap (unless cross-parallel universe travel is mastered soon). I cling to small glories of triumphant runs and wickets among friends or for school or club in my distinctly amateur playing career. Don't get me wrong: there is warmth in such memories, and I enjoy adding to them as time passes. But I cannot help but wonder what it must be like to play at the highest level.

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Fix the West Indies problem once and for all

Enough has been said about West Indies' countless player-board sagas. Just find a solution already

Roger Sawh

20-Nov-2014

I do not want to write about the current crisis in West Indies cricket. I want to pretend that it isn't happening. This must be a nightmare - a doomsday situation one might dream up after checking a few old scorecards while watching an apocalyptic movie before heading to bed. It has been that bad for the fans, and it is just another in a long and painful line of disappointments.

I became a cricket fan two decades ago, which means that my support for West Indies has coincided with the major part of their ugly slide down the slope of respectability, both on and off the pitch. It has been a period of utter tumult, as strikes, exiles, infighting, bans, second-string teams, a carousel of captains and players, a host of administrative upheavals, and many other dreadful events have come and gone. And that does not even begin to mention the performances on the field of play.

The current fiasco that Caribbean cricket is in is just another chapter in this period. Cruelly, and ironically, the current mess emanated from a righteous initiative to distribute earnings for the wider benefit of regional cricket. Alas, it all went downhill from there, with an almost comedic series of blunders, misinformation, stubbornness and emotions leading to the team's withdrawal from a tour of the most important country in the cricketing world. The maelstrom has got worse since the abandonment, with the tit-for-tat approach among the parties paling in comparison to the US$42 million bill sitting in the WICB's mailbox. It is a pathetic state of affairs.

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All hail the other West Indies

The women's side's understated rise to No. 1 could inspire young girls - and boys - and break barriers to gender equality in the region

Roger Sawh

28-Sep-2014

As I compile these thoughts, West Indies are ranked No. 1 in the world. Yes, in cricket. Yes, by the ICC.

Over the past few years, the West Indies team has rapidly ascended the rankings, beating the likes of New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and competing fiercely with England and Australia for global supremacy. The team has terrific allrounders, powerful hitters, mesmerising spinners, penetrative quicks, and a shrewd captain.

If you are confused, let me clarify: I am not misinformed or blissfully ignorant of the current state of Denesh Ramdin's, Dwayne Bravo's or Darren Sammy's team. The West Indies team is on top of the women's cricket world.

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The Wilt Chamberlain of cricket

There is one current cricketer who is as dominant and unstoppable as the legendary basketball player was

Roger Sawh