Barbados, where the bottom line rules

The Brits are out in force again. The stands at the Kensington Oval are a sea of red, white and blue. Luton Town are in the house, as are Tom and Dan from Potter's Bar. It’s only a few typos away from being the Kennington Oval.

Barbados 2009 (and for all England tours since the mid-90s) is the reverse of what was seen in London during the 1970s and 1980s. As the all-conquering West Indies – the Harlem Globetrotters of world cricket – blasted away all before them, they were cheered on by crowds full of West Indian fans when they played at The Oval in south London.

Last time West Indies visited The Oval, however, there was barely a supporter in the crowd shouting for them, and while the locals are trying to make themselves heard in Bridgetown they are fighting against the tide.

It’s a shame in many ways. A couple of times in this series we have glimpsed what a strong local crowd can add to the action. On the fourth day at Sabina Park and the final day at the ARG, the home side were cheered to the rafters. But there appears to be a wait-and-see approach. Maybe it comes from the inconsistent nature of West Indies – the supporters are still not sure which side will turn up.

A piece on Cricinfo the other day, by my editor Sambit Bal, talked about the passion of taxi drivers being a window into the passion for cricket in this country. That passion is still there, but not quite with the strength that once was the case, as people struggle to accept a team that doesn’t win consistently.

However, they don’t always help the situation themselves. On a local radio phone-in the night before the Test, one caller said West Indies needed to revive the days of Garry Sobers. Heck, that’s going back a long way. Great eras, by definition, don’t come along very often and this current side needs to respected for more modest achievements.

The cost of a ticket to the opening day here was $80 Barbadian, which is $US40 (or about £30). Not dirt cheap by any measure, although apparently not out of reach of huge numbers in Barbados, one of the wealthier Caribbean islands. Still, why not drop prices? It’s a common cry, but the problem is that the stands are packed by visitors quite happy to pay those prices so the local board is going to want to milk it.

That sounds unfair, but as Chris Gayle said before the match, cricket is now “becoming a business". The bottom line is what matters, and sadly that is coming at the cost of the true West Indian experience.