CATEGORY:COMMENTARY ------------------------ INSIDE GRENADA Tuesday April 10,2007 by Lloyd Noel GRENADA: Whatever many may say about our traditions in the Caribbean - especially in this historic year of the 200th Anniversary since slavery was legally abolished in England - the two most common and binding legacies that have stood the test of time over the years, have been and remain to this day our Christian Religious beliefs and traditions, and our West Indian Cricketing progress and development. However else we may have been divided in these parts, or chosen to go our separate ways for one reason or another, or have made economic progress because of the greater natural resources of one Island or State over the others, or even where our educational development - before and after the coming of the common Educational Institutions we now share and enjoy - seemed to have progressed more in one State than the others; we nevertheless continued to share the unity, and common Religious beliefs in those two binding traditions. But even at this period, as we move from the sad times of Holy Week into the celebrations of another Easter and all it implies for Christian believers - our once-upon-a-time binding Cricketing traditions, are going through the worst crisis ever experienced. And it maybe pure co-incidence, that the entire team members that have brought the Region into shame and disgrace - by their shabby performance,and in-ept and lackadaisical attitude and commitment - have all come from the so-called Four (MDCs) More Developed Countries, and none from the (LDCs)Less Developed Countries. Sir Frank Worrell must be turning over in his grave. True enough, we have Devon Smith from Grenada in the Fifteen man squad, but he was never given one game in that period, up to the team coming to Grenada for its one game in his homeland. As for the Team coming to Grenada, which was scheduled for Monday 2nd April from Guyana - that too ended up in a shambles, as only Five players and the coaching staff arrived at Point Salines Airport. What was even more embarrassing, for the (LOC) Local Organising Committee Officials who were present to meet and greet them, was that those Officials were not informed about who was not coming and why. Someone must have given the other Ten players permission to go to their homes, even after their shameful performance against Sri Lanka in Guyana - but that person or persons did not bother to tell the Local Organising Committee Officials. And whether permission should have given at all, is itself a crying shame. And that pattern of irresponsible behaviour and high-handedness, by the Superior big-pappies who seem to run the show with unbridled authority - while making a shameless mockery of our once proud tradition in these parts,it also very clearly corroborates Selector Andy Roberts publicly expressed bewilderment, at what is going on with the internal management of the CWC Team he and his Co-Selectors helped to choose. According to Andy Roberts who, like his former Team mates Richards and Ambrose and Richardson and the Benjamin brothers and many others - all hailing from Antigua and other LDCs, in the days of our World class Superiority on the Cricket field - he and his colleague Selectors had not been consulted since after picking the Fifteen. It seems the chosen Fifteen were handed over to Coach Bennett King and Captain Brian Lara, and from then to-date those two are calling the shots, with no consultation with the accredited Selectors. Andy expressed his concerns publicly, in a CMC interview on Cricket Plus lunchtime show, the day after the West Indies was humiliated by New Zealand in Antigua. The licks they received from Sri Lanka in Guyana was even worse - yet the Big Two continued to do their own thing. Andy was concerned that the Selectors have had no say in the Final Teams that went on the field; and like Michael Holding before him, he was at a loss as to why opening batsman Lendl Simmons was picked in place of Jerome Taylor, and then sent to bat at No. 8. He opined that many questions needed to be asked and to get answers - as things were not going right and they need to be put right. Obviously, when those sentiments come from the Andy Roberts and Michael Holdings of West Indies fame and dedicated performances - those in authority have to take notice. But the Billion viewers repetitive questions are resounding world wide; namely, are the questions not coming too late? And is not the time for damage control well past the stage for recovery? At least for CWC 2007. And it is not only the Cricket experts that are in a state of shock. All our Cricket loving West Indians with a sound knowledge of the game, and even our politicians - who seem to go around with closed eyes and blocked-up minds - they are suddenly coming alive and expressing concerns. But whatever maybe the excuses, or the rationale to be advanced by those in control, writing on the Thursday before Good Friday - it does not look any better for improvement in the Three games ahead, especially the one against South Africa in Grenada on 10th April. And talking about the Grenada end of the Six Super Eight games - all the Teams are due in Grenada by Friday I understand, and the Two practice grounds at La Sagesse in St. David and Progress Park in St. Andrew are reportedly all set and ready for practice and training by the Teams. The roads and areas around the Stadium are still not quite ready, but there are frantic moves afoot to get them as nearly quite ready as possible - the un-certain weather permitting. Unlike the hue and cry from the other venue Islands, where the visitors arrivals have been very disappointing, not to mention the small crowds at the various games - our officials here at home have been somewhat reserved with their public statements. We were told that about Ten Thousands visitors are expected, and that between available Hotel rooms and the Home Stay Programme, there is accommodation for about Three Thousand persons - which must mean that the majority of visitors are going into private accommodation. As for the Ticket sales, the reports are not very consistent in terms of numbers. There is general dis-content by the Public, with the very poor display by the Team in the Three Super Eight games thus far. I frankly do not see much hope for improvement in the next game against South Africa here at home. But with Cricket, being the game of so-called glorious un-certainties that it can be, strange things can happen. And in particular, should those Two Super Selectors have a change of heart and pick the Team on merit, with Devon Smith included - we may see a much bigger crowd at that first game on Tuesday 10th April. How much difference that belated inclusion will tend to make in the circumstances, only time will tell. Another very strange development I have been hearing from both Barbados and Grenada - are the belated complaints about the restrictions laid down by the ICC, as well as the prices to enter the Stadium in the various venues. The Barbados deputy Prime Minister Ms. Mia Motley, is the Government Official responsible for Security on behalf of all the Governments in CARICOM - and she must have been in on the discussions leading up to the end results that each Venue is now facing. Here at home, our Prime Minister has been the assigned Government Leader dealing with Cricket matters for the CARICOM Heads - so he too must have had some saying in the buildup to what is now unfolding. What I suspect, is that those Government Officials had been so elated with the idea of the CWC taking place in the Region for the first time - they carelessly failed to properly and fully assess the very obvious repercussions that must flow from the stringent rules and restrictions they were presented with. As for the inflated U.S. Dollar prices to see a game, in the well known and long time existing economic conditions in all the Venues States - those Officials cannot honestly plead ignorance. What is more, Hotel proprietors in various States also increased their prices for the occasion - and even when reports were coming out, that patrons from expected Cricketing Countries were not happy and complaining about the inflated prices, I heard nothing from those Government Officials,to try and stop the ill-advised and insensitive practice that must have affected prospective visitors to the Region. Those planners and advisers at all levels seemed to have completely forgotten, or ignored, two basic ingredients that are the corner stones of Cricket in the Caribbean. The first is, that the Cricketing World spectators admire and enjoy the fun and music and party atmosphere associated with Cricket Caribbean Style; and the second is, that the largest number of Cricket lovers who go to see Cricket in the Caribbean - are people from the bottom level of the salary scale. And therefore, when those two ingredients were in effect omitted from the plan for CWC2007 - the end product lost its Caribbean flavour, and no amount of advertising and showcasing, or belated packages to entice visitors, can ever replace those ingredients. In the Match between England and Sri Lanka last week Wednesday in Antigua,which turned out to be a nail-biter, the commentators were announcing - that the LOC were offering native Antiguans free entry to come to the Stadium to see the game in progress. No doubt to boost the atmosphere, but that last minute gesture may have been too late. So the time for ole talk has passed us by - and it is a case now of learning from the mistakes made, even though it is a very expensive exercise - that will surely have its own political consequences down the road. And to crown it all, it has taken the Australian Vice Captain, Adam Gilchrist, to appeal to the powers-that-be to put on a “Cricket Ticket Sale,” and seriously reduce the cost of Tickets for the remaining games - so as to increase attendance at the games to give them more atmosphere. He bemoans the spectacle of the World’s best Teams playing before half-empty stadia. That is not ole talk, but sound economic advice.