Dear Editor,
There are few things one can say with certainty about cricket: One is that in playing that game, especially in batting, without confidence you are doomed to failure. When a batsman who has scored centuries against strong opposition cannot dispatch a full toss or constantly hits balls, even with the middle of the bat, directly to a fieldsman, the inference is often drawn that he is either out of form or sometimes that he really is just not technically up to it.
Unsurprisingly the explanation more often than not, or at least, very often, is that he is lacking in confidence. We have seen this very clearly in all the matches the West Indies team has played against Pakistan to date in the current series, and we ought not to be surprised by it. This group of young men representing the region has seen their leaders humiliated over the last year or so. Although I sincerely hope that their performance improves as the series continues, it is truly incomprehensible that they were expected to perform even close to their best. The simple fact is that their ‘bosses’ are simply too insensitive for the job of managing young people. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am sure, however, they will tell the fans that they should be ashamed of the cricketers, and frankly, they know there are several fans who would agree with them. If management wants to help the players nothing is more important at this time than doing everything reasonably within their means to help them get back some confidence.
Yours faithfully,
Romain Pitt
