One good thing (12 November 1998)

12 November 1998

One good thing

Tony Becca

The West Indies crisis, as far as the tour of South Africa is concerned, is over.

The tour is on and, although the West Indies Cricket Board must be assessing its loss, and probably why it lost, the other parties involved - the United Cricket Board of South Africa, the West Indies players, their supporters, South African president Nelson Mandela and the politicians in the Caribbean - must be happy.

It will be a long time however, before the dust is settled - before those who were against the board's stand forgive it, before those who believed the stand was right forgive them for surrendering and before those who were against the players for the timing of their protest and what they saw as a stick up, forgive them.

Hopefully, however, the two sides, the board and the players, will learn something from the impasse. Hopefully when the dust is settled all will be well for West Indies cricket and already it appears something good will come of it.

Over the years, West Indians from all walks of the respective societies have talked about the importance of West Indies cricket, but apart from token support here and there, West Indies cricket, despite all the cheers which greet victory, has been left to fend for itself.

In recent years, for example, spectator support at matches has fallen drastically, sponsorship support has been getting less and less and the many calls for financial support from the respective governments have mostly fallen on deaf ears.

Out of the impasse, however, and the involvement of politicans, has come a call, from a politician, for the governments of the region to show respect to something which is so important to the region.

Grenada's Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell, and Antigua's Prime Minister, Lester Bird, on a request from the chairman of CARICOM, Kenny Anthony, Prime Minister of St. Lucia, were involved in the dispute in the capacity of advisors and at the end of it, Mitchell called for West Indies cricket to be placed at the top of the CARICOM agenda.

"I think we are beginning to understand a lot more even at the regional heads of government of the absolute importance of cricket and what it can do psychologically, economically, socially and politically to the region if in fact it does not work right," says Prime Minister Mitchell who reminded, for example, that his government was one of the few to assist in the financing of contracts for the players.

"Some of our governments have not provided that support and I think it is important for me to call upon all governments at this time to make the necessary sacrifices."

This is not the first time a Caribbean leader has called on his colleagues to assist West Indies cricket. This time, however, the call may be answered and it should be answered.

After all the talk during the impasse about preserving West Indies cricket and after the efforts in getting the board and the players to reach a compromise so t what Mandela referred to as a tour of great social and political importance could take place, there should be no doubt that politicians finally understand the importance of West Indies cricket.

What is important, however, and especially with the level of insularity present in West Indies cricket, is that if and when they give in support of West Indies cricket, the politicians also understand what they give should have nothing to do with who are selected to represent the West Indies.

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