Dear Editor,
The impasse between the WIBC and WIPA has reached yet another level – a Cricket Stakeholders’ Council. What next if this too fails? The West Indies cricket team was once adored by the cricketing world. Today we must be the laughing stock instead.
I once had a passion for this sport as did most West Indians, and experienced the excitement of the era of legends like the three Ws. My greatest moment was the day I was at Lord’s cricket ground when West Indies won the Prudential Cup, beating Australia, one of the most formidable teams then. I was part of the carnival as we West Indians tramped on the outskirts of the field. Those were the days of glorious cricket with greats like Hall, Griffith, Sobers, Kanhai, Gibbs, Murray, Lloyd and, of course, in my opinion, the greatest catcher-batsman Vivi.
Then came the fearsome four – Holding, Roberts, Marshall and Croft – and batsmen like Greenidge and Haynes. Winning was their main object, making their fans proud of them. I do not think that money came before this.
Cricket after this took a downward trend when the new kids on the block came on the scene – no commitment, no discipline, no team cohesion, only the mighty dollar was their bargaining chip. And in all this mess the losers are the West Indies supporters. Cricket brought us together as no Federation or Caricom ever did. We shared our food, our drinks, our jokes, our cultures. We were all one people rooting for our team.
Cricket will never be the same, as the fracture keeps on widening.
I now embrace football as my new sport. But I am glad I was part of those days of truly glorious cricket!
Yours faithfully,
Gloria Lye
