INSIDE GRENADA MARCH 16, 2008 by Wallace J.A The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has promised to fight any attempts by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relegate the Windies cricket team to a second tier test playing nation. A number of prominent cricketers from some of the ‘more powerful’ contemporary test playing nations have complained about the lack of competitiveness of the West Indies cricket team in recent years. The West Indies, a cricketing giant which ruled the world of cricket during the 1980s and early 1990s, has considerably declined in stature over the years, so much so that many fans are now surprised when the team wins a match. The Windies is now the subject of many crude jokes by some irate fans. The ICC has indicated that it may create a two tier system which may see the top seven cricket nations in the first tier and the remaining three in a second tier with a system of promotion and relegation. This means that the West Indies will be in the second tier with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. This decision, if taken, can have very far-reaching implications not only on the resurgence of the West Indies as a powerful cricket nation, but on the psyche of the peoples of the region and the fragile economies of Caribbean countries, many of which are deeply immersed in debt after erecting multi-million dollar stadia in preparation for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. A WICB delegation is expected to meet with officials of the ICC at their Dubai headquarters the week of March 17 to discuss the matter.