Cricket or football: Uniting the Caribbean (13 Feb 1998)

February 13, 1998

Cricket or football: Uniting the Caribbean

Tony Becca

CRICKET: West Indies cricket has long been considered the binding force behind the unity of the English speaking Caribbean, and although the University of the West Indies has played its part, over the years there has been no doubt about it - not even on those occasions when insularity reared its ugly head over such things as team selection and the captaincy of the team.

According to C.L.R. James, the most incisive writer on the game to have come out of the West Indies and arguably the best anywhere in the world, there were many reasons for the impact of cricket on the West Indian life - the most important being the common heritage of the West Indian people and the opportunity it offered, as a unit, to challenge and defeat the might of what he called the "colonial masters".

It was Learie Constantine who said, back in 1950 when the West Indies defeated England in the second Test at Lord's for their first victory in England: "In 1928 we came to learn, now we come to teach."

The West Indies went on to win the series 3-1.

In many respects, James was right, and that is why regardless of the strength or weakness of other teams like India and Pakistan, or even Australia, regardless of the strength or weakness of England, the team to beat has always been England. That is also why, despite the disappointment of losing three-nil to Pakistan recently, so many people, cricket fans or not, were more concerned about what the West Indies performance against England would be like.

In the midst of the defeat in Pakistan, the common expression, certainly around Jamaica and by those who kept calling to find out what was happening to the team, was this: "Oh God, I hope they don't let England come here and beat us. Anybody else can, but not England."

Cricket however, is not now the only thing which binds the territories together. Football has joined forces with cricket, and remembering that the territories play as individual teams and not as one, it promises to make the unity even stronger. There is always a greater respect for someone who does not have to cheer for you but who does.

Back in 1989 when Trinidad and Tobago went into their last qualifying match challenging for a place in the World Cup finals, the entire West Indies was behind them, and when they failed, the region mourned with them.

Today, Jamaica, the first English-speaking Caribbean territory to do so, are on the way to the World Cup finals and the mood around the region is one of happiness and pride.

In Trinidad and Tobago, for example, the Reggae Boys are the toast of almost everyone - to the extent that when the hundreds or thousands of Jamaicans from home and abroad, gather in France for the historic first match against Croatia, beside them will be at least 98 Trinidadians.

There is a competition being run by Carib Brewery - a competition in which 98 winners will go to France, all expenses paid, including spending money. The stickers, the posters, and the billboards read: Win a place in the Carib World Cup Posse and see Jamaica play live.

They also read, in bold letters: Uniting the Caribbean behind Jamaica.

It may simply be a marketing move, but even if it is, it demonstrated the impact of Jamaica's achievement, the pride being experienced by their brothers in Trinidad and Tobago, and the support of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Those who believe Caribbean people have one destiny, those who support Caribbean unity, those who lament the failure of Federation almost 40 years ago, and those who have been singing the praise of cricket because of its contribution to that unity should now be happy - football has joined cricket as a unifying force in the region.

What is remarkable about football's impact is that unlike cricket which, as a regional team, represents the people of the Caribbean, football is played as separate teams under national flags.

James was right when he emphasised a common heritage and a common goal as the primary reason for the popularity and the importance of cricket to the West Indies. The region's pride in Jamaica's achievement and the support for the Reggae Boys underlines it

Source :: The Jamaica Gleaner (https://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/)