Dear Editor,
The dismal performance of Guyana’s National Cricket Team in the current regional competition should come as no surprise. Coach Seeram talks of “gifted players.” We may have eleven “gifted players,” but do we have a “gifted” team? But we are looking for a performing team, not “gifted players.”
In the heyday of West Indies cricket it took the astute leadership of Clive Lloyd to mesh the “gifted players” of the day into a winning machine. Guyana (and the West Indies) lacks that leadership. No slight intended, but years ago, even before Chanderpaul was appointed West Indies Captain, I said he was not leadership material.
Unfortunately, because of the ‘instant’ syndrome, which seems to have overtaken everything we do nowadays, we seem to be plucking leaders from thin air only to destroy them, not only as leaders but as players also. Instant leadership is a myth, although I accept the concept of situational leadership. If we examine the leadership of other regional teams it is evident that most have very experienced ‘old heads’ at the helm. What does the Guyana team have?
Leadership is crucial to success. A good, sound leader takes individual abilities and blends them into a working unit. Lloyd did that with eleven personalities and egos.
Incidentally, the weak leadership of the Guyana team does not benefit from an impressive team management line-up. It certainly seems as if we are parading the best of a bad lot.
The feeder system in sports, as indeed in so many aspects of life in Guyana, has broken down. Especially as it relates to cricket, in the days we have little desire to recall, every primary school had a cricket team, a sports teacher, a pitch in the compound, etc. It started there and graduated to the community centres. Bookers employed coaches like (the late) Colin Wiltshire, Joe Solomon, Lance Gibbs, Clyde Walcott. Even Sir Gary Sobers graced some coaching sessions. Not only was batting, bowling and fielding taught, there were sessions on field placement, leadership, psychology, and discipline.
Examine what we have today. Little wonder we produce ‘computer generated’ players and leaders. No discipline; no application; squibs. And we will do worse yet.
Are some claiming that we have coaches, etc, nowadays? So what is not happening right?
It all comes down to politicking, not genuine human development.
Yours faithfully,
T Jadunauth