The display by the Guyana cricket team in this year’s regional cricket competition shows just how far this country has retrogressed in the sport.
After eight rounds and seven matches the team has been beaten five times outright and has managed two draws.
It is now certain that the team will finish at the bottom or near bottom of the standings upon the completion of the double round tournament which is being sponsored by the West Indies Cricket Board.
Guyana used to be among the top cricketing countries in the region. Now, sadly, that is no more.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), apparently in an effort to improve the team’s fortunes, sacked the coach of the team after four outright defeats and the team responded with two draws under the new coach before reverting to their old losing ways in their previous game against the Windward Islands at the National Stadium at Providence.
It seems pellucidly clear therefore that changing the coach was not the solution to the problem. Nor was changing some of the players. The problems lie much deeper than that and cannot be solved with such cosmetic changes.
Perhaps at the end of the competition the GCB will set up a committee to look at the team’s performances and suggest ways of dealing with the problems.
But what has been disappointing have been the efforts of the batsmen and bowlers. There have only been two centuries scored so far in the competition by Guyanese batsmen and the bowlers have not distinguished themselves either.
Batting teams have found the Guyana bowling attack to be “food” and have gorged themselves with double centuries and centuries while teams have consistently racked up huge scores.
With so much money to be made in cricket today, even without Sir Allen Stanford’s involvement, with there being so much openings for players in the West Indies senior teams, it is amazing how players from Guyana seem reluctant to work hard and to apply themselves.
The team will take on the Combined Campuses and College team from today at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda and even if the players do not want to play for the $$$$ they will gain if they were to become future West Indies players, the least they should do is play for the pride of being “Guyanese.”
