'Players must be more committed'-In the crowd

Few are as qualified to speak on the issue of commitment with the authority of Arlington Nurse Cyrus. 'Cy', as he is widely known in local cricket circles, is 'commitment personified'.

Originally inspired by his cousin Graydon Nesfield, the former Maple off-spinner who played for the Barbados Colts against Australia in the mid-60s, Cy has been a loyal supporter of Maple for the past 25 years, and Maple players can depend on him to be in the crowd each weekend the club participates in the domestic competitions.

'He [Nesfield] sparked my interest in cricket. I used to go to Maple and take his gear bag. We are first cousins and we lived in the same area. Since then I've always been around Maple.'

Cy has stuck with Maple through the good times and the bad, but laments the lack of commitment by those involved in cricket which, in his opinion, is largely responsible for the state of Barbados and West Indies cricket.

'Commitment and pride are less present now than before. The players today are not too bothered about letting the team down.'

The poor standard of pitches is also an indication that the degree of commitment is lacking, he added.

'The pitches before were better prepared. Commitment is lacking in every aspect of the game.'

Known for his witty and insightful comments on the game, Cy is usually quite vocal in expressing his feelings on any cricket related issue and is never afraid to speak forcefully on any happening, even in the presence of those being criticised. Yet, this person seems in conflict with other areas of his life.

'I am not an aggressive person. Surprisingly, it is only at cricket that I'm heard. I have a passion for cricket,' he said.

Over the years, Cy has also had his time in the middle, representing Standard in the Barbados Cricket League. But it is not only his experiences as a player which make him an authority on the game.

'I have my own cricket library which includes books and tapes. I enjoy reading anything on cricket. I subscribe to at least two cricket publications Wisden and The Cricketer.'

The cricket enthusiast also claims to have a copy of each edition of the West Indies Cricket Annual edited by Tony Cozier as well as the more recent Caribbean Cricket Quarterly.

While appreciating the efforts of the media, he thinks a higher standard of coverage is needed, particularly from commentators.

'They need to speak with more authority and give more insight.'

He believes there should be less trivia and what he calls silly byplay which takes place in the commentary booth.

There also needs to be an improvement in the way sportsmen speak to the Press, he said, adding that this is one of many areas which can be addressed through establishing a cricket academy.

His academy would include training for officials and administrators. He firmly believes cricketers also need to be taught to appreciate the demands of the higher level of cricket.

Cy recommends involving the University of the West Indies as well as the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity to providing training to improve these areas.

'We have to look at the total package of cricket in a professional way. The world has gone on and left us.

'Management of the individual seems to be lacking in the Caribbean; our managers should be trained. We in the West Indies feel that being a former West Indies cricketer makes you a good manager or coach; that is not necessarily the case.

'You don't have to be a cricket manager to manage a cricket team; you have to be a good human resource person,' Cy stressed.

Another aspect of cricket which the Maple man says must be addressed is the mental preparation of players.

'The young cricketers are not reading the game.'

He used Barbados allrounder Ian Bradshaw as a good example.

'Apart from Rommel Brathwaite, he [Bradshaw] is the most thinking cricketer I have seen in Barbados for a long time. We need to find more like him for Barbados and West Indies cricket to develop.

'Talent alone will not make you a successful sportsman. You must combine it with inter pretation of the game.'