Dear Editor,
A national cricket team left these shores amid all the hype of ‘taking it.’ Little did we know that what they really meant was teking a good lickin from sides that were superior in almost all departments of the International 20/20 game. As an ardent sports fan, it pains my heart that our boys had to endure such humiliation.
I am waiting with bated breath for the usual hollow utterances from Guyana’s cricket governing body (GCB) and the team management or their servants as to the reasons why we did poorly. But they should not waste their time and the media’s time. Guyana’s cricket as a whole was laid bare for the world to see that the game we so love, the game that corporate Guyana is pumping millions into each year for its growth and development, is woefully wanting. Need I go on!
Yet, we are happy with mediocre tournaments at the grassroots level, substandard pitches countrywide even at the National Stadium, a heavy dependence on spin bowling, with little or no help for fast bowlers and substandard fielding.
A practice facility at Woolford Avenue is perhaps worthy of the ‘Amazon Conquerors.’ It is a jungle! Nationwide cricket competitions are only played on the coastal plain of this nation. How will talents be unearthed if this lopsided affair continues? What about the other regions? Are they not part of this nation too?
Add all of that to the favouritism, cronyism, and hegemony that pass for administration across the three counties and you would see that our cricket is in a sad state of affairs. It is exactly that, that has seen the hiring of the unimaginative and seemly nonchalant head of the coaching staff of the Guyana National Team, when someone like a Roger Harper should have that job. We need people with vision, versatility and ‘guts’ to influence our boys.
I thank our boys for doing the best they could. At least many persons around the world would now know about Guyana. Albeit that maybe they can play cricket down there after all!
Yours faithfully,
G. Atkinson
