The Worrell Lecture: Michael Holding's Way Forward (30 Mar 1998)

30 Mar 1998

Michael Holding's Way Forward

The Nation

MORE COACHING, longer tenures for selectors but, above all, regional re-commitment to West Indies cricket.

Former pace menace Michael Holding sees these as vital ingredients in the quest for Caribbean cricket to regain world dominance.

Delivering the fifth Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Lecture last Thursday night, he urged all West Indians to play their role in this undertaking, regardless of how big or small.

"We are all shareholders, to a certain degree. The West Indies Board is only the board of directors appointed by us to run our company. Let us not shirk whatever responsibility we have as individuals to help our company grow.

"If it fails, we are the ultimate losers in the end," he told an attentive audience at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.

The Jamaican and West Indies legend appealed to hosts of call-in programmes regionally to deter persons from making insular remarks about cricket on their broadcasts. Such behaviour, he argued, will breed future inter-island disharmony over the sport.

"Most of the people who call in are parents and I wonder what your kids think when they hear you."

Speaking on the topic West Indies Cricket - The Way Forward, Holding also expressed grave concern about the decline in cricket's popularity among youngsters.

Quoting a recent survey in Antigua and Barbuda among children aged 11 to 19, he said 37 per cent named basketball as their favourite sport; 25 per cent, football; 23 per cent, other sports and 15 per cent, cricket.

"When we say cricket is a religion in the Caribbean, I hope the Lord has more people in His church. Fifteen per cent is way below what we would like and what is expected for cricket in the Caribbean," said the man nicknamed "Whispering Death" because of his lethal deliveries to batsmen.

Of the cricket-loving percentage, only nine per cent felt they had adequate facilities to hone their skills, added Holding.

The survey also stated that when asked why they would pursue their No. 1 sport as a career, representing their country ranked third behind money and fame. Fifth was scholarship prospects.

"When you consider that Antigua and Barbuda, in recent years, has produced Andy Roberts, Viv Richards, Curtly Ambrose, Richie Richardson and others Ð a lot of great West Indian cricketers Ð these statistics show something is wrong."

Lauding the recruitment of former West Indies players to coach the next generation, the guest speaker called for more of this.

"You should not have people getting to Test level and having simple, basic faults that the coach and manager have to iron out.

"I cannot understand why so many no-balls, even from our senior men, and indeed some of our spinners, are being bowled. Those things should have been sorted out a long time ago. The amount of no-balls being bowled is totally unacceptable."

Holding encouraged the West Indies Cricket Board to stretch selectorial terms to three years to enhance the three-man panel's ability to plan for the future. At present, they serve one year, with re-election prospects. Their terms are expected to extend to two years in May.

"Three years would be even better. When selectors are voted in for one year, there is not enough long-term planning in our selection. These selectors are trying to do a job immediately, thinking to themselves: ÔI might only be here 12 months and my tenure has got to be successful'.

"That means they have to pick teams for today; this Test match, this series, perhaps not thinking about what's coming after."

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)