CATEGORY:COMMENTARY ----------------------- INSIDE GRENADA Thursday April 05,2007 by Lloyd Noel (Attorney-at-law) Although we still have three or four weeks to go before the final ball is bowled to signal the end of the current Cricket World Cup 2007 - I can very well begin to imagine the sorts of headlines, and excuses that would be hitting the Media waves come Sunday 29th April, 2007. In fact, as we listen to the on-going commentaries, and read the press reports coming out of the Board rooms and offices and Ministries of the various powers-that-be around the Region, and even further afield, we can already begin to discern where they are coming from and what we should be expecting. But whatever we will be getting, or however we choose to analyse, interpret, or accept what we do get from the various bodies at the end of it all - one thing is absolutely certain, and that is - it will be the most costly and extravagant learning experience this Region will ever face. And the social, political, and by extension financial consequences flowing there from - will live on to haunt us collectively for a very long time to come. The one exception, to whatever maybe forthcoming, that could not have been foreseen and for which we have to accept the consequences - is the very sad and unfortunate incident involving the death of the Pakistan coach, Mr. Bob Woolmer, in that Jamaican Hotel on the 18th March, 2007. And now that we have been told that the death was not a natural occurrence, but according to the Post Mortem it is now classified as a vicious Murder by Strangulation - that is one extra-ordinary “First” for a CWC we will have to live with for a very long time to come. And as the investigations proceed almost behind closed doors, as it were - the conflicting stories that are making the rounds, are adding even more mystery to the already very mysterious happenings. To the extent, that the scourge of that gentle man’s game of Cricket - that we always regarded in these parts as skillful, fun-filled, and the unification of our people - namely “Match Fixing,” seem to have spread its ugly head and roots into our game of “Love and Unity.” Reading between the lines of the various reports and statements, coming out of both Jamaica and Pakistan, touching and concerning the background to that scourge, as well as the very guarded bits and pieces of information pertaining to the incident and the findings thus far - I get the distinct impression, that far more relevant and material evidence, as well as very suspicious discoveries, are being held back or concealed to await the closing Ceremony of CWC2007 in Barbados on the 28th April. Whatever effect that incident at the Pegassus Hotel in Jamaica, may have on the crowd support at Matches at the various venues - it is also very clear, that the planners from outside the Region, and the Government officials and their advisers in the Region, hopelessly mis-interpreted West Indians love for Cricket, vis-a-vis their economic ability to meet the very high prices laid down by the ICC. Those in control planned for a first World event, and ignored the conditions of the people in the Third World venues. And added to the foregoing were the continuing deprivation of basic necessities, and local Government’s grossly irresponsible spending spree, in an attempt to provide facilities that will not, and cannot be compensated by the expected returns in the short or long term. Our Government here at home provides a classic example, of forcing to hang our hats on un-necessary projects where our financial means could not meet the high costs. And after making all those empty promises, and giving obviously deceptive assurances of meeting impossible deadlines - Ministers at this ninety-ninth hour, have had to come out and eat humble pie - by admitting that those projects would not be ready in time for the Super Eight games starting here on Tuesday 10th April. What is more alarming - is that despite what those same Ministers must have seen, at the other venues from Jamaica to Guyana and in-between, of the crowd attendances even when West Indies was playing - the powers-that-be are still making groundless predictions of great things to come. And talking about the West Indies Team itself, and the selection policy and performances resulting therefrom - it seems that those in control have learned nothing, or very little over the years. And for the number of times I have heard Captain Brain Lara repeated, that they have to go back to the drawing board after another defeat - I have lost all confidence that any drawing board, or team-plan -policy, or the Selectors genuine commitment to picking the best Regional Team, in fact and in reality do exist. The performances in Jamaica in the first round matches left a lot to be desired, and the same team played all through. As compared with the victories by Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka - the wins by West Indies were no big thing to write home about. So that by the time the team got to Antigua, for the first Super Eight games, no one needed any kind of crystal ball to predict the result against Australia - it was a foregone conclusion once the team was announced.And then we got to New Zealand, with the change of Lindl Simmonds from Trinidad and Tobago to replace Jerome Taylor from Jamaica - a batsman in place of a fast bowler. But what did we find? The batsman, who is an opener from way back for his Country, was sent in to bat at Number 8 - just about where a bowler would be batting. And the same Samuel and Dwayne Smith and the openers - who have all only come good on one occasion on each of the previous four games - were again batting in their same positions, and failing as per usual without a fight. Young Keiron Pollard was hailed as the find of the decade, after three or four Regional games when he scored against all the other teams - and he can bowl as good as the likes of Bravo and Dwayne Smith - but he is kept as a by-stander on the benches. And Devon Smith who has proven himself against the best, and who was being promoted as the opener to give West Indies a sound platform to build upon - he has been sitting in the pavilion, while the failed openers continue to fail time and time again. But then again he is a Grenadian - with no big pappies in the forefront to push his cause. And from that background, the administrators and others in control were wondering - why the new Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua was half empty, even when West Indies were playing New Zealand. Writing on Saturday a.m. I would be very surprised if we succeeded against Sri Lanka - with that kind of Management mentality, and Selectors partiality and obvious bias and insularity. On the other hand, seeing the writing on the wall, those jokers who are making a mess of West Indian Cricket, may very well pretend to come to their senses - and who knows, they could come good or simply be too dam late. Time will tell. And in the same backward scenario, of trying to suppress the inevitable by putting inequity and revenge and discord in its place - the unfolding events in Trinidad and Tobago, surrounding Chief Justice Sharma and Ex-Prime Minister Panday chaos and confusion, that continues to bring shame and scandal to the Judiciary and the body politic - have now moved inside the very Parliament that is supposed to under-pin the entire Constitutional Structure. And who the Speaker and the Government turn to for a solution? The very Judiciary that the powers-that-be have been mis-using and abusing in their quest to enforce injustice. And talking about “Mr. Speaker, Sar,” in our own micky-mouse Trade Centre pappy-show, that is supposed to represent our Lower House of the People’s Parliament - the hilarious performances taking place in that setting, clearly beats all cock fight. The Speaker patently and un-ashamedly displayed obvious and glaring bias - in restricting the Opposition from making valid contributions in a debate in Parliament. He then, in the same debate, allows the Prime Minister all the time and rope he wants - to do exactly the same things he had just a short time before debarred the Opposition from doing. The Opposition brings a vote of no confidence in the said Speaker, for showing and displaying bias; the Government side brings an opposite Motion, and by its one seat majority wins the debate and passes a resolution that the Opposition must apologise to The Speaker. And true to form, Mr. Speaker declares that the Leader of the Opposition must apologise to him, “or else” ..... and he lays down a time limit for so doing. Instead of all those theatrical plays, that are being advertised for the same Trade Centre - to entertain CWC visitors who may be coming to Grenada for those Super Eight games - I feel a sitting or two or our Parliament, at which those visitors should be invited, would definitely provide much greater entertainment and hilarious laughter. The situation in Grenada to-day, has gone so far down the gutter - in terms of standards, and responsibility, and due regard for our people and their institutions, and whatever else that we once cherished and taken for granted as the norm - that unless a stop is brought to bear, and sooner rather than later, the hopes and expectations of any speedy recovery, if and when a change does come further down the road of the current mal-administration, will be an even longer time in coming to fruition. But to go back to the comedy of errors, that passes for the Management and Selection policies of the West Indies team for the CWC 2007 - now that I have seen Sunday’s continued chaos and confusion, and the third consecutive defeat by Sri Lanka in Guyana. Those ever-so-brilliant strategists, who were saying after the Jamaica experience how pleased they were with the team’s performance - they actually went one better in Guyana where, co-incidentally, the CWC got its first full house for any game since the competition began. Those wise planners brought back Jerome Taylor to the squad for Simmonds - and after conceding 303 runs to Sri Lanka, they promoted Bravo to open the batting with Gayle and moved Chanderpual one place down. Wheat did they expect? The same cats, who picked two recognised openers in Devon Smith and Lindl Simmonds for CWC 2007, and never gave anyone of them a chance - in Five games where the make shift openers under-performed - they proceeded to sacrifice Bravo, in a position he never held for West Indies - while the authentic openers were looking on from the pavilion. Should the Selectors pick or do not pick, Devon for the Grenada game on Tuesday 10th April - even those who already have tickets should stay away in protests, and no more should be bought. The entire Selection panel, the Management team and the Captain should all announce their resignation, or be sacked - for their dis-graceful performance, and whole-scale let down of our Caribbean people in their own backyard. Enough is more than enough.