FUSION

Barath bats for change in TT

2011-09-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Trinidad and Tobago batsman Adrian Barath celebrates his half-century against Leicestershire Foxes in the Nokia Champions League T20 at the Rajiv Ghandi International Stadium in Hyderabad, India.

By Kern Ramlochan

Sports Editor

Opening batsman Adrian Barath is hoping that the performance of the national cricket team at the Nokia Champions League T20 in India will be a catalyst for positive change in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Trinidad and Tobago player said the State of Emergency which was implemented last month by the government reflected the deterioration in society. Government explained that the State of Emergency which has been extended until November was implemented to halt a surge in crime linked to the drug trade.

He said that the players wanted to play a part in helping to rehabilitate Trinidad and Tobago and inspired his unique celebration after scoring his half-century against Leicestershire Foxes on Tuesday. On reaching his half-century Barath pulled out a Trinidad and Tobago flag from his pocket to acknowledge the crowd.

“I showed the national flag because I feel proud to represent my country and show my patriotism towards Trinidad and Tobago because at the moment there is not really much positives coming out of the country,” said Barath yesterday.

He continued, “Sport really brings a country together and that is really the main reason because of the current situation as well as the pride I feel to represent Trinidad and Tobago. I want to extend my feelings towards people in Trinidad and Tobago. I try to make Trinidad and Tobagonians proud as much as possible and the team on a whole we feel the same way about it but that was just my personal touch on it.”

The stylish right handed batsman felt that sacrifices had to be made to ensure that Trinidad and Tobago is a better place for all citizens.

“It was a bit disheartening to see what was happening and the state the country was in. Every morning when you wake up and see the families mourning the loss of a loved one it is always disheartening to see,” Barath said.

He added, “Just like in sport where we have to make sacrifices, spending three months to six months out of the country at a time. The people of Trinidad and Tobago must know that if we all stick together and do things to the best of our ability we can make a positive change.”

The West Indies player revealed that the celebration was also a tribute to the fans that have been supporting the team and inspiring them through various regional and international tournaments.

“I paid tribute to the fans here, because these people flew from Trinidad all the way to India to see us play and that also our fans back home. Hopefully more people can come now that we have qualified (for the main draw) because we are going to come up against the bigger teams like Mumbai Indians who will have home support. So any support we can get from home and any physical support in India will be great for us. At the end of the day it is all for the fans, without our fans nothing is really possible,” Barath noted.

The former Kings XI Punjab player added, “I showed how patriotic I am towards Trinidad and Tobago and hopefully it will bring some positives. When we do well, a lot of people really thrive on it. My love for Trinidad and Tobago motivates me and we (the team) as Trinidadians feel very good when we have support.”

(Story courtesy Trinidad Newsday)

Gayle’s return hinges on WICB

2011-09-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN
Sports Editor

OPENING batsman Chris Gayle says that the ball is in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) court to decide when he returns to international cricket with the West Indies team.
Gayle met with WICB, Chief Executive Officer Dr Ernest Hilaire last month for a one-on-one meeting in an attempt to resolve issues that are keeping him out of international cricket.
“Whenever they (WICB) are ready I am ready,” said Gayle, when asked about his return to the West Indies team.
The Jamaican said he had an hour-long discussion with Hilaire at the WICB head office in Antigua, but more talks are expected to follow before he can be reinstated to the West Indies team.
“We had a discussion but things are still in the open at this point in time,” Gayle said.
He revealed, however, that talks were productive and is optimistic about his chances of returning to the regional team.
“It was a good productive talk. I met with the CEO and basically things went well from there. It is up to them to make a decision now and let me know what is happening at this point in time,” Gayle added.
The left-handed batsman recently returned from India to take part in the Ball of Fire II charity put on by the West Indies Players Association at the Queen’s Park Oval here.
He will be heading back to continue his preparation with Royal Challengers Bangalore for the forthcoming Nokia Champions League T20 tournament later this month.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are in Group ‘B’ with South Australian Redbacks, Chevrolet Warriors with two teams from the qualifiers to fill the remaining spots.
The former Kolkata Knight Riders batsman revealed that his focus is on the Champions League and the match against Trinidad and Tobago played an important part in getting into peak form.
“The Champions League is starting in a couple weeks time it is another version of the game and I will have to head back to India.
“This match I used as preparation playing against Trinidad and overall I am looking forward to my first Champions League game. I am looking forward to it actually and I hope I can play a good part in Champions League,” Gayle stated.
The WIPA “Cricketer-of-the-Year” finished as the top batsman at IPL 4, scoring 608 runs from 12 matches at a healthy average of 67.55 with a top score of 107.
Gayle is confident that he can continue his good form at the Champions League and guide Bangalore Royal Challengers to victory.
“Like I said it was a massive IPL, I took a lot of positives, but the Champions League is a different scenario. There will be different teams we will be playing against and different situations,” said Gayle.
He added: “ It is going to be a good contest amongst the bowlers from the different teams. So the build up like I said I am excited to be a part of it. I want to do well there just like any other player and I am looking forward to it, fingers crossed hopefully.”

Blessing in disguise

2011-09-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

Trinidad and Tobago's cricketers will head to the Nokia Champions League T20 in India later this month full of optimism. The "Red Force" finished as runners-up at the inaugural tournament and the team believe that can go one better this year. However, they will have to achieve that goal without all-rounder Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo. Both players have opted to play for their Indian Premier League (IPL) teams. Pollard will take to the field with the glitzy Mumbai Indians while Bravo will provide further fire power to defending champions Chennai Super Kings. Much was made about Pollard and Bravo not playing for Trinidad and Tobago at the lucrative T20 tournament. Their decision added to the club versus country debate which has taken the cricket world by storm since the formation of the IPL, Sports Minister Anil Roberts suggested that it was the fault of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board and even asked for their president, Azim Bassarath to step down down while the public seems confused but not really concerned anymore since the State of Emergency holds much greater importance.

While there is a general belief by certain quarters that Trinidad and Tobago cannot win the Champions League without Pollard and Bravo it seems unfair and uneducated. Yes, Pollard and Bravo are world class Twenty20 players and they would have been the icing on the cake on an impressive team assembled for another assault on the Champions League. When Trinidad and Tobago went to the Champions League two years ago their star player was Dwayne Bravo and the truth is, he is not the best player on the team. At that time he may have been the most experienced player and the only household international name. Pollard revived his career with the national team at the inaugural tournament and has managed to have a few explosive blasts which ensures that his Twenty20 stock remains high.

If Pollard and Bravo were in the current squad for this month's tournament they would hold the same value at they did two years ago. Batsman Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo came to the Champions League as relatively unknown players. They now return as established international cricketers in all formats of the game. Barath already has a Test and One-Day International century to his name while Bravo holds a Twenty20 average of 27.66 and a strike rate of 110.66 which is remarkable. Opening batsman Lendl Simmons has revived his international career after it was stymied due reasons the West Indies Cricket Board are yet to properly address. However, he has reclaimed his place in the West Indies team in all formats and was the Player of the Tournament at the Caribbean Cup T20, scoring 249 runs. The trio along with William Perkins form a formidable experienced batting lineup that will not be easily outfoxed. If Barath can bat to the 12 over in most matches, "Red Force" will post totals over 180 runs.

The explosive top order will be complemented by vice-captain Denesh Ramdin. He is one of the best batters of spin bowling in the West Indies and will be critical in providing a stable middle order. The wicketkeeper/batsman has been criticised for his inconsistency with the bat and will need to show that he has rectified his technical flaws to continue providing that stability. Ramdin is a great thinker of the game and is a much more valuable asset than Pollard or Bravo. He commands a great deal of respect and will be an asset when the team are in a tight spot. There is no doubt that he is the best wicketkeeper in the Caribbean and the confidence he brings behind the stumps will rub off on his teammates. He may not have a WICB retainer contract or a lucrative IPL contract but no price can be put on his worth to the national team.

Captain Ganga and vice-captain Ramdin will provide steady leadership and guidance. Both players are master tacticians and with coach Kelvin Williams for a wily team. They are always three or four steps ahead of the opposition. Sources in the cricket fraternity revealed that Pollard and Bravo made the decision since February to play for their IPL teams. Therefore, would have been well aware of this and had plans and strategies in place. Trinidad and Tobago could not win with Bravo and Pollard at the inaugural tournament and their absence plays to the advantage of the team. "Red Force" have retained a level of unpredictability once more and they will be able to experiment and work different strategies for new players. We may see plans build around Darren Bravo or off-spinner Sunil Narine. But Trinidad and Tobago will not be predictable and they will be hard to decipher.

Bowling wins Twenty20 matches coupled with good fielding. Ravi Rampaul showed with the West Indies team that he can lead a bowling attack without much support. He will have lots of support with the national team in India. Rayad Emrit has once again found that drive and new dimension that can allow his to share the new ball with Rampaul. Both pacers have been very accurate and have the ability to seam the ball. Emrit is quite a handy batsman and is a better player of spin than Pollard. Off-spinner Narine must be closely watched. He will be dangerous on the sub-continent. His action may be suspect but allowed to bowl he will be a handful. Trinidad and Tobago will be re-branded at this year's Champions League. The desire to prove they are the best and the drive to put one over their former teammates will be a catalyst for a successful tournament. All the tools are in place for run at the title. There is talent, experience, courage, leadership and revenge. When mixed together it is a good recipe for a title run. The Indian public may be stunned that we don't have our "stars" in the squad, but really what do they know? They were were whitewashed by England.

My sympathy to the TTFF

2011-08-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

I feel sorry for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. They have to punch above their weight in the most competitive sport in the world with limited financial and human resources. It has to depressing know that the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica are always going to dominate and a scrap with Jamaica is going to be the highlight of any World Cup qualifying or Gold Cup campaign. Imagine if Canada get their act together! Trinidad and Tobago's chances will diminish even further.

'Soca Warriors' coach Otto Pfister has a huge task ahead of him. With the government providing funding, all seems well for football in Trinidad. I give it until the end of the year for this relationship to break down. An Authorisation Committee was formed to account for the TTFF's finances. But who likes to be treated like a child? nobody wants their parents to tell them how to spend their money and on what. There will be a conflict of interest. All Sports Promotions who will chair this committee, also have been entrusted with the TTFF's marketing and securing matches. However, I predict they will take a large chunk of the change and look after their best commercial interest instead of our footballers.

Pfister may have been in tougher situations while coaching Ghana and Nigeria. But Trinidadians are obsessed with mediocrity and we work extremely hard to achieve this. He may not have as much talented players Leo Beenhakker had to work with but I do like the guy. The German speaks of hard work, hard work and hard work. He seems to acknowledge that there is not much to choose from but he will mould a unit from the local league.

There fact that he wants to lengthen the Pro League season is a move that should have been done a long time ago. Trinidad and Tobago's professional league is the only one of its kind that operates like an amateur league. Honestly, I do not think we will qualify for the World Cup under his guidance and he will vacate the position misunderstood and under appreciated. His work will only be recognised in the long term for future generations and somebody in authority will try to take the credit as usual.

Sports Minister, Anil Roberts seems bi-polar. He loves Pfister and the TTFF today and I am sure he will hate them tomorrow. I predict it will only be a matter of time before the Ministry of Sport begins to interfere along with the new committees and companies hired to make Trinidad and Tobago's football "better". For now we should be glad there is money to pay the staff and the players and we should enjoy this while it lasts. Hopefully Pfister has a good run with the team and we actually get to see the team play decent football.

Hunte, Hilaire must quit says Roberts

2011-05-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

Sports Editor

Trinidad Newsday

WEST INDIES legend, Andy Roberts has called on president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Julian Hunte and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ernest Hilaire to resign if cricket in the Caribbean is to move forward.

Roberts' plea came after the West Indies surrendered the One-Day International series to Pakistan on Thursday at Kensington Oval, Barbados coupled with the introduction of a questionable selection policy, the treatment of former captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul and other experienced players and the spiralling performance of the regional team.

"The West Indies Cricket Board right now is taking our cricket backwards. We need people at the board who have the interest of cricket at heart and who can plan for cricket development. I think the president and the CEO are in the wrong place. They are in the wrong place at the wrong time....that is my personal feeling," said an irritated Roberts in a telephone interview.

He felt that several WICB directors must also accept blame with the president and CEO for the poor state of West Indies cricket and must step down to allow the revival of West Indies cricket.

"The directors are not different, the directors are just following. Some of these directors are just happy to go along with whatever is happening. They need to go, some of the directors need to go because some of them are useless," Roberts said.

He added, "The president is just keeping the board members happy, so the board members keep them there. The board members are also kept happy, so they see no reason why (to change anything). They are satisfied with what is going on. I don't think it matters to them."

The former West Indies Chairman of Selectors disagreed when asked if president Hunte who has over a quarter century of cricket administration experience and CEO Hilaire have taken an unconventional approach to changing West Indies cricket for the better.

"To change what way? To change for the worse? because that is all they are going to do. Any change they make is not for the better, it is for the worse. They have made a number of changes so far and none of these changes have improved the cricket at all," roared Roberts.

The former West Indies pacer cited the decision and manner to axe the experienced players after the ICC Cricket World Cup as a classic example that Hunte and Hilaire were clueless about what they were doing.

"I think this is a poor decision and the way they go about doing it. Personally I don't have a problem if you tell Chanderpaul that he can't fit into the one-day plan because that is my personal thing. They should have said you are not going to fit into our one-day plan and this is just one-day" Roberts said.

He continued, "But with Chris (Gayle) and (Ramnaresh) Sarwan I think they went about it the wrong way too. You just can't pick a bunch of new players. What we need in order to win is confidence and nothing dents confidence more than losing, losing, losing. That is what is happening at present, we are just losing and we see no way out of this."

Roberts felt that Hilaire getting involved in cricketing decision such as the matters with Chanderpaul and Gayle is the clearest example of what is plaguing the progress of West Indies cricket.

"That is exactly where we are going in the wrong direction. Has that go anything to do with the CEO? Isn't that a playing matter? Isn't that a function for the coach? or the captain? How did the CEO get involved in that? so probable the CEO is picking teams too."

He continued “Of course this is out of place. Whether he is the Chief Executive Officer, yes or no, if he feels that way, if he sees something call in the coach and let the coach make that release. That shouldn’t be released from the CEO. I’ve never heard any CEO from around the world get involved in cricket like the way the West Indies CEO has. So it wouldn’t surprise me a lot if the CEO has a lot with Darren Sammy being captain and not the selectors.”

What TT cricketers must do to beat Jamaica

2011-03-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Rayad Emrit will be a key player if Trinidad and Tobago are to beat Jamaica.

The Trinidad and Tobago cricket team in recent time has not been able to find the winning formula to topple Jamaica in the regional Four-Day tournament. Both teams will meet in the WICB Four-Day tournament semi-finals with the 'Red Force' given a massive boost by securing home advantage. National coach Kelvin Williams will be aware of the shortcomings against Jamaica and will be keen to snap their losing streak against a formidable opponent. To win the the Trinidad and Tobago must execute four critical areas to advance to the final and break the Jamaica jinx.

The batsmen must click. Most likely the match will be decided on first innings and a strong first innings batting display is critical. The timely return to form of opening batsman Lendl Simmons must bring a sense of relief to captain Daren Ganga. Simmons has been guilty of not being more consistent throughout his career and needs to continue scoring on a consistent basis. The return of Darren Bravo and Kieron Pollard will strengthen the batting lineup and release the pressure on skipper Ganga who has been in tremendous form this season.

Trinidad and Tobago's bowlers must be able to finish off the Jamaican batting lineup. During the group stages Jamaica were let off the hook after they were reeling at 60 for four. Veteran Wavell Hinds slammed 162 and David Bernard scored 70 which eventually proved to be the turning point in the match. Pacer Rayad Emrit should lead the pace attack with Ravi Rampaul. They will provide a difficult proposition for the attacking Jamaican batsmen. Leg-spinner Yannic Cariah should prove a different proposition on home soil along with lef-spinner Imran Khan. If off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth can prove penetrative that national team will have a good chance of winning.

Jamaican batsman Marlon Samuel must be negated at all costs. He is the leading batsman in the regional tournament, scoring 750 runs and can pose a serious threat when he gets going. In the past Emrit has proven to be effective against Samuels. The Trinidad and Tobago bowlers must attack Samuels and ensure he does not settle at the crease. The Jamaican will be devastating if he is able to assert his influence on the match.

Home advantage must count for the national team. If they can get through this match the national team should be in a good position to reclaim the regional title. The semi-final match will be played either at the Queen's Park Oval or the Sir Frank Worrell Ground and the knowledge of these pitches will be a benefit for the 'Red Force'. The Sir Frank Worrell Ground offers a greater balance for the pacers and spinners. However, the wicket deteriorates faster and the spinners come into play. Spinners will be used much more at the Queen's Park Oval and the national team should be favouring this venue.

Where do the Windies go from here?

2011-03-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

After the atrocious ICC Cricket World Cup campaign, the West Indies who crashed out in the quarter-finals to Pakistan are yet again at another cross road. Another opportunity for the administrators to confront the issues plaguing West Indies cricket is upon them. Brave and hard decisions can be made to start the rebuilding of cricket in the Caribbean or the dark ages of West Indies cricket can continue. I do not think there are much administrators brave and smart enough to turn around West Indies at this point in time and we will continue to see the terrible standard of cricket which is reflected in our world ranking.

For the sake of being optimistic there are a few changes which can be made which will bring some short term relief to the team. The captaincy of the West Indies team is the first issue that must be addressed. Darren Sammy is not good enough to be on the West Indies team. If he cannot command his place he should not be on the team. The West Indies is not strong enough to get away with his weaknesses and win matches. There is no balance to the team and his selections hinders from incorporating an additional batsman and bowler. Sammy's weakness as a tactician was shown at the World Cup and he needs to work on his game if he wants to help West Indies cricket.

The Selection Panel must resign immediately. Clyde Butts, Courtney Browne and Robert Haynes have proven to be clueless and out of their depth. If you look at football teams that go to a World Cup, they take an experienced group of players with one or two inexperienced players who are considered prodigies. The West Indies had one of the most inexperienced teams with Andre Russell, Devendra Bishoo, Kirk Edwards and Devon Thomas playing less than 10 One-Day Internationals amongst them. Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo are also inexperienced but they are legitimate prodigies which will manifest in the future. Therefore, the inability of the selectors to formulate a plan which would have given the less experienced players in the team greater exposure before the World Cup, shows the lack of foresight of the Windies selectors.

Otis Gibson must be sacked. He has brought nothing to West Indies cricket and will continue to hide behind excuses. While the experienced players in the West Indies team did not perform at the World Cup, there was no acceptance of blame by the coach. He has done nothing of worth during his tenure and hopefully he does the Caribbean a favour by ending his term of service.

ICC Spot-Fixing decision

2011-02-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) has published a redacted and encrypted version of the final determination of the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal following the hearing into spot-fixing charges against three Pakistan players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, which concluded in Doha, Qatar on February 5 2011.

When handing down their decision, the tribunal expressed the strong view that its full written determination should be published widely (as the ICC has the power to do under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code), so that interested parties can read and fully understand the reasons for the tribunal’s determination.

The ICC shares that view and wishes all stakeholders and followers of the sport to see for themselves the effort and resource that the ICC has devoted to pursuing these charges, so that there can be confidence in the ability of the ICC (and its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) to defend and maintain the reputation and integrity of the sport from corrupt activities.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC Chief Executive, said: “It is the ICC’s intention to be as transparent an organisation as is feasible and to publish all its reports and findings for the benefit of stakeholders. Publishing the full written determination of the tribunal is clearly in the best interest of cricket.”

However, in light of a recent decision by the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to pursue criminal charges against the three players, the ICC has taken steps to permit read-only and non-printable access to a redacted version of the tribunal’s full written determination via its website for the next seven days only (i.e. until Wednesday 16 February) and to those users located outside of England and Wales only.

Windies sponsorship a disaster waiting to happen

2010-12-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

The future of cricket in the Caribbean is coming to a major crossroad with the emergence of Twenty20 cricket. West Indies players Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard have rejected central retainer contracts by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and a major problem looms ahead. While most cricket pundits have been criticising the trio and questioning their commitment to West Indies cricket, the issue of sponsorship should be carefully monitored.

I will not fault Gayle, Bravo and Pollard for their decision, because they are entitled to their choice. However, Gayle and Bravo are the marquee players in the West Indies team with Pollard thus far restricted to limited overs cricket. With the trio not obligated to contractual agreements, sponsors Digicel would be unable to ensure that they are firmly part of their marketing drive in the Caribbean. Would Digicel be content with promoting their interests via Darren Sammy or Brendan Nash? Digicel are in a tough position and they like any private company will act in their best interest.

The WICB is constrained in their efforts to ensure players are committed because they cannot force players to sign retainer contracts or develop a sense of loyalty to Caribbean cricket. Questions must be pointed in the direction of the International Cricket Council (ICC) who have failed in their attempts to establish a balanced cricketing calendar.

It would be tough for Digicel to continue sponsoring West Indies cricket without their star players. Fair to them if the problem is not solved they are entitled to walk away from West Indies cricket. The WICB has already faced challenges securing sponsorship, with their Caribbean Cup T20, Four-Day and Limited Overs tournaments not being sponsored. Which sponsor would likely want to replace Digicel if they are not guaranteed that the marquee West Indies players appear or are committed to their advertising and public relations campaign.

The population in the West Indies is very small and sponsors will not see it as a profitable move to invest in the Caribbean. Currently the United States and Canada are two major untapped markets that could benefit the West Indies in the future but significant investment must be made to increase the popularity in these two lucrative countries.

A decision by the ICC is needed quickly and in the best interest of global cricket. West Indies have fallen behind the other governing bodies and the worrying selfish influence of the Board of Cricket Control for Cricket in Indian (BCCI) as well as Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa and the England Cricket Board (ECB) to secure their position is not aiding the global development of the sport.

The WICB must accept the blame for their poor administration which has alienated the players over time. While they get their house in order the ICC must make must hard decisions about the long term development of cricket and realise that while Twenty20 cricket has its place the longer they take to formulate a proper schedule there is more damage being done that would be difficult to mend in the future.

Yorke lived the dream

2010-09-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

By Andy Cole

My old strike partner Dwight Yorke retired last week, aged 37. He was at Sunderland last season, but he'll best be remembered for his time at Manchester United, especially when we won the 1999 treble. Dwight should have won more, but I'll come to that.

When he joined United in August 1998 from Aston Villa, strikers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham were at the club and I wasn't certain of my future. Sir Alex Ferguson had tried to sign Patrick Kluivert, but that fell through and United paid Â£12.6 million for Dwight.

I was the striker United could have sold for the most and my fears were realised as I was on the bench a lot. I did start at Southampton and we won 3-0, with Dwight and I scoring in only our second game as a strike pairing. The manager saw something.

I liked Yorkey straight away and admired how he was completely unfazed by his huge transfer fee. Not many strikers settle as quickly at Old Trafford like Dwight.

We were totally different people. Dwight was, 'Look at me, I play for United, I've got a nice bird and car'. I'm the opposite. I bought a Porsche one year but was so self-conscious that I couldn't drive it. It took me two months to drive it to training. Yorkey had no such worries.

I invited him round to our house to spend time with my family. We went shopping together and I'd often call to remind him what time training was- because he always forgot.

When we started playing together, it was like meeting a special woman and falling in love. Everything felt right. Whatever he did, I did the opposite. We never had a cross word. If I was upset with him or he with me, we'd look at each other and say 'Okay'.

Dwight's arrival changed my whole United career and our partnership got stronger. One game stands out- against Champions League favourites Barcelona away in 1998-99. We were behind after one minute. Yorkey equalised after 25 minutes after I combined with him. I then put us ahead, and ran to the corner to celebrate with a group of United fans sitting in the home end. Rivaldo levelled for Barca, before Yorkey struck again: 3-3.

After that, the biggest clubs in Europe were saying: stop Cole and Yorke and we stop Man United.

But they couldn't. Our confidence soared and we thought we'd score every week. If one of us didn't score, the other would. We could alter our play depending on the opposition: I'd go long, he'd go short. Nobody knew how to mark us. At times, we had so much space that we took liberties.

If one player lived the dream, it was Dwight. He always played with a beaming smile. Maybe he lived it too much because, if I'm brutally honest, for a boy of his talent Dwight never fulfilled his potential.

He was one of the fittest footballers I played with and his ability was up there with the best of them. After the treble, though, I felt that he eased off. I told him and so did Roy Keane.

If he had put his nut down and worked, Dwight could have become a United legend.

Dwight is from a small Caribbean island and I'm of Caribbean descent. I know the mentality- when you reach the top, you relax and ease off. What more could Dwight do? He'd won the treble.

Sometimes he relaxed too much, like when he fell asleep in the middle of the pitch during a training session before a pre-season tour game in Australia.Â

Like me, Dwight moved to Blackburn where I saw him lose his temper for the only time. Manager Graeme Souness bought us together hoping that we would replicate our United success.

There was a problem: Blackburn didn't have the quality we'd had around us at Old Trafford. That led to Souness falling out of love with the pair of us and we felt that he was trying to knife us.

Souness did Dwight in a tackle in training, causing a gash so deep in his shin that you could see the white of his bone.

He could have broken his leg. Dwight was still spitting bullets when I heard the commotion as he slaughtered Souness in the canteen-right in front of Blackburn's chief executive.

Dwight was saying: 'Graeme Souness, the big hard man who bullies his own players?' He destroyed him verbally.

Dwight played 480 club games and scored 147 goals, including 64 in 151 appearances for United. More of those goals should have come at United, but I'm picking holes in a great career.

I saw him two weeks ago and he said: 'These players today on Â£100,000 a week. If I earned that money I'd live like a Â£100,000 a week player with the best cars and birds."

"What do you mean Yorkey?" I replied. "You already did."

(http://www.manutdtalk.com/forums/man-utd-chat/27011-dwight-yorke-article-written-andy-cole.html)

Barath says Sri Lankan tour crucial for Windies hopes

2010-09-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

OPENING batsman Adrian Barath believes that the West Indies tour of Sri Lanka in November is crucial for the success of the team at the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup to be played on the Indian subcontinent.

The West Indies will play three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches before returning to the Caribbean. Matches for the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup will be played in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh.

“The tour of Sri Lanka will be important for the West Indies team and myself. Firstly, I need to be on the team for the Sri Lanka tour but this series will play a significant role in our World Cup campaign.

“It will help us get familiar with the conditions we will be playing on at the World Cup and we will get a preview of some of the players we will be coming up against,” said Barath on Friday. The West Indies are in Group “B” with Netherlands, Ireland, England, South Africa, India and Bangladesh while Group “A” consists of Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya.

“It is my dream to play at a World Cup and I know the hype of it is very massive. I played at the Under-19 World Cup and it was a tremendous experience. Also playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and knowing the passion the people in India have for cricket I would love to be part of the World Cup team,” revealed Barath.

“We need to bring back as much as we can from the Sri Lanka tour. At this time I am not sure if we are having a camp for the World Cup but we will have to discuss different strategies and the things we learnt on tour,” Barath said.

The Kings XI Punjab player felt that a great deal could be learnt about the conditions in Sri Lanka during the Test matches which would have a huge part in a successful World Cup performance.

“People might think the Test matches would not be important when you look at preparation in context for the World Cup. I think the Test matches will be vital, especially for the West Indies team who have not been doing well in recent times.

“Any win for us will boost our confidence. The West Indies is better in 50 over or Twenty20 cricket and Test win will improve our confidence. Winning is the only thing that can bring the team closer. Also the bowlers will get accustommed to the flat tracks and this experience should prove beneficial,” said Barath.

The Trinidad and Tobago batsman recently returned to competitive cricket at the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament after recovering from a knee injury sustained at the IPL. He finished with 173 runs, the most in the competition at an average of 57.66 with a top score of 66 not out in the opening match against Canada.

“It was great returning to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the regional Twenty20 tournament. To finish with most runs in the tournament was good and even though it is Twenty20 cricket there is still a great deal of batsmanship that is required.

“It was good to be back playing cricket and it was unfortunate that we did not qualify for the Airtel Champions League. It was a tournament I had on my calendar and I was looking forward to playing in with the national team,” said Barath.

Concern over loan of US$6M to WICB

2010-09-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

CONCERNS have been raised about the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) applied for a US$6 million overdraft for one year from the United National Bank in England.

The loan is to fund three initiatives according to confidential documents provided to Newsday yesterday.

Funds have been sought to meet the start up and running cost of the Sagicor West Indies High Performance Centre; to cover the operating expenses incurred for the ICC World T20 2010 Ticketing and Corporate Hospitality; and to meet obligations under the Future Tours Programme (FTP).

Financial observers have also raised their eyebrows at the WICB listing as collateral its projected earnings from International Cricket Council (ICC) for playing at ICC Events.

These events, between 2010 and 2015, are valued at US$64 million and includes television revenue between 2010 and 2012 from British Sky Broadcasting worth US$6.2 million.

The official documents provided to Newsday showed that the WICB took out a US$10 million loan and a US$2.5 million overdraft with Butterfield Bank of England who are holding their US$7.3 million debt service deposit.

Therefore the WICB was exposed to the full extent of United National Banks’ facility limit due to the risk involved and will face an interest rate of 5.5%.

WICB president Julian Hunte in his annual report for 2009 earlier this year stated that revenue increased by US$28 million, an increase of 144 percent from the previous year.

According to Hunte’s last financial report the WICB generated Net Income of US$7,646,597. The report showed several lucrative deals such as the Media Rights fee earned for England’s tour of the West Indies in 2009 from British Sky Broadcasting was US$12 million and US$845,000 from Taj TV.

For India’s tour of the West Indies in 2009 the WICB received US$600,00 from British Sky Broadcasting and US$15.3 million from Taj TV. The WICB collected US$400,000 when the team toured Abu Dhabi and US$2 million for the tour of England while US$4.6 million was received from ICC Events.

(www.newsday.co.tt)

WIPA, WI Board clash over Airtel

2010-08-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

UNCERTAINTY surrounds Guyana’s participation in next month’s Airtel Champions League Twenty20 tournament in South Africa with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) unable to agree on terms.
WIPA have expressed concerns about being kept in the dark along with the Guyanese cricketers by the GCB about arrangements for their participation in the lucrative tournament.
Proposals sent by WIPA 10 days ago concerning the Team Participation Agreement which entails the sharing of prize money and the US$500,000 participation fee to the GCB have not been met with a response.
Newsday has been told by a reliable source that the deadline for documentation to be submitted to the organisers of the Airtel was on August 4. The source also revealed that WIPA proposed that the Guyana cricketers receive 75 percent of the prize money and the GCB collect 25 percent.
This was the same agreement made by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) and their players for the inaugural tournament last year.
WIPA has also taken issue with the WICB who announced intentions to retain one third of the US$500,000 participation fee which Guyana is entitled to for playing in the competition.
However, WIPA believes that there will be a direct negative impact on Guyanese cricket and its players with the WICB claiming a large portion of the appearance fee. They noted that no money was deducted from the TTCB when the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team competed.
The WICB claimed that their justification for taking a percentage of the Guyanese cricketers’ appearance fee is due to the significant cost incurred in hosting the recently concluded Caribbean Twenty20 tournament staged in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
WIPA in response has asked the WICB to reveal its income generated at the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament, in particular revenue provided by American cable television network ESPN and other sponsors. They added that if the WICB made a loss or organising the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament all financial information should be in the public domain to confirm their commitment to transparency and good governance.
The WICB further stated that neither it nor the GCB can negotiate the use of the players’ image rights and that negotiations should be done by WIPA who are authorised to negotiate on behalf of the players directly with organisers of the Airtel.
However, WIPA disagrees, stating that the WICB is obligated under the Team Participation Agreement to procure use of the Players Attributes to ensure the full and successful exploitation of the commercial rights. They added that it is a matter for the board and the tournament organisers.
WIPA stressed that their primary concern is to conclude the player’s arrangements at the earliest times so that focus can be shifted to Guyana’s preparation for the challenging tournament.
They have proposed a series of matches against Trinidad and Tobago to ensure the team is prepared. The proposal has been met favourably by GCB president Chetram Singh as well as players from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.

Barclay outstanding for club in Cheshire league

2010-07-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

OPENING batsman Marlon Barclay has been having an outstanding season with Barrow Cricket Club competing in the Miller Braggins Cheshire Cricket League in England.
The Queen’s Park player has been pivotal in Barrow’s success in the Twenty20, 50 overs and 45 over competitions and is happy with his form thus far. “I am pleased with how I have been performing because I have been consistent for my club. The team is winning games and I am playing an important role and this is what I came here for,” said Barclay yesterday.

The former national Under-19 player is into his second season with Barrow and has adapted quickly to the conditions in England since the traditional conditions have not coming into being as yet.
“The conditions in England so far are a bit like home right now. They don’t have the traditional English conditions because it has been sunny and the wickets have been hard and good for batting,” revealed Barclay.
“The conditions right now have been easier than the first time I was here where there was lost of rain and the wickets were slow.”

The talented left-hand batsman noted that the tradition English conditions are approaching but he is prepared and is confident of continuing his good form citing his impeccable technique.
“Rain has been falling and the traditional English conditions will come to play. It is just a matter of going back to basics and playing straight. The wickets will be slower and you would not be able to play cross batted shots. I just need to stick to the basics in the changing conditions and adapt” said Barclay.

The Barrow opening batsman added that he will have to make technical changes such as getting over the ball more to ensure that the ball stays on the ground.
He felt that the standard of cricket being played in England will better his chances of national selection since he will return for trials in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) 50-over tournament.
“I really like the longer version of the game but I will be able to adapt better to the shorter version. Barrow is playing a lot of limited overs cricket and I will be prepared. Also my form will be good because of playing constant cricket and I know if I work hard I will be selected in the national team and that is my main concern at hand,” said Barclay.

He expressed his confidence that the forthcoming season will be his “break through” year due to the developments in his game playing in England.
“The exposure has done me well and once I continue to work hard I will be able to achieve my main goal in national selection. But my main focus right now is on Barrow and scoring runs and helping them do well,” said Barclay.

Coach says TT cricketers hitting stride at right time

2010-07-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

TRINIDAD and Tobago open their Caribbean Twenty20 cricket campaign and coach Kelvin Williams has expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the players during their recent training sessions.

The national coach was critical of the batsmen performances during the early stages of the trial matches but believes that the team is finally hitting its stride at the right time.

“The team is looking ready for this Twenty20 tournament. I expect them to show the performance they normally do and if you look at the team it is an excellent side. It is well balanced, we have all the internationals available for us and we are looking forward to good things,” said Williams.

He explained that the return of international players such as Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, Adrian Barath and Imran Khan has improved the batting of the team.

“It is different now because they (international players) understand it and they understand how to play. During the trials the youngsters were a bit anxious and wanted to get in and played having their own agenda and not much the team,” said Williams.

The national team played two practice matches recently against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) winning by 21 runs and seven runs. Williams stressed that the batting performance was good but felt that there is room for improvement.

“We lost our last three or four wickets in the second match with not so much intelligent play and that is a little bit of concern. Come competition time I hope that we will actually rectify that and make sure this does not happen again,” said Williams.

He explained that intelligent batting is needed and players must read the game better to ensure the minor problems are rectified and the innings move smoothly.

“Instead of going for the big shots it is better we look for the ones and twos so that we keep the score ticking over. Sometimes you play a big shot, you miss and you play another big shot and you miss and then you get out. So that is three dot balls gone and you lose a wicket.

“You expect the new batsman coming in now to actually keep that momentum up but there he has to start again and take some time to get in,” said Williams.

The former Trinidad and Tobago batsman added that the team has been working on new strategies to help them stay ahead of the other teams in the Caribbean.

He was adamant that it was imperative for the national team to be innovative and continue to pioneer Twenty20 strategies.

“It is Twenty20 cricket and everybody expects us to play one particular way. We want to make sure we are ready for anything and we want to make sure we actually are above the Twenty20 as far as tactics are concerned.

“It we remain at one level everybody is going to catch up with us and we really want to raise the bar,” said Williams.

(http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,124230.html)

TT Sports minister plans Pro League

2010-07-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

WHILE the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) struggles to find a solution to stop the steady decline of regional cricket Minister of Sport Anil Roberts is not prepared to wait on any miracles and is ready to kickstart his plans for Trinidad and Tobago.

“Trinidad and Tobago cricket will get the necessary resources from cradle to grave to develop cricket. We have been doing very well so we want to increase the number of young children especially in primary schools to be exposed to great techniques and cork ball cricket,” said Roberts.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Azim Bassarath has placed great emphasis on primary schools cricket and cited it as the main area of focus to develop the new generation of cricketers.

Roberts was speaking on Tuesday night at the annual WIPA cricket awards at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain.

“We must not play three months of cricket. I want the children to be playing cricket all year round, if it is raining let us build indoor nets and facilities so cricketers could go in the elite centres and their coach and so on,” said Roberts.

The Minister of Sport revealed that the establishment of a professional cricket league is on his agenda and he is hopeful and consulting with various stakeholders that it will become a reality.

“We are moving to develop a professional cricket league so that as we said the vision is play more cricket. You play more cricket, you improve your coaching, you will get better. You improve your facilities, you play more cricket you will get better,” said Roberts.

He explained that funding will be the first obstacle that must be overcome and it will be addressed in the parliament.

“I will have to argue in parliament for it but I would love to see a professional cricket league with at least the top eight teams battling it out in at least the first instance the four-day and one-day format” said Roberts.

The qualified swim coach noted that the selection criteria of the West Indies team mystified him and as a person who has a great knowledge and love for sports he is unable to understand the selection criteria. He added that young players in the Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago are uncertain about the best way to gain selection to the West Indies team and many depended on the luck of being spotted in First Class matches while not being properly prepared.

“We have a fall off after Under-19 that cannot continue because the Australians by the time someone makes their debut they have already played 60 first class matches. By the time one of our players have been chosen we would be lucky if they played ten first class matches,” said Roberts.

The Minister of Sports’ solution to the problems facing the opportunities and development of players is to independently host First Class matches.

“Trinidad and Tobago is going to play as many international matches allowable under the ICC without stepping on the toes of the West Indies Cricket Board. But I will have the responsibility for Trinidad and Tobago, its cricket and funding.

“I want to see games from every calibre. If we have to bring Scotland, Ireland and Azerbaijan we are going to play them. We are going to play New South Wales and we are going to improve our cricket and by extension I hope the West Indies and the new structure they say they going to put into place that it will offer some sort of hope to our people.” said Roberts.

(http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,122282.html)

TTCB president want CEPEP contracts for cricket clubs

2010-07-16T15:46:00.001-07:00

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Azim Bassarath made an ambitious suggestion to the government to empower cricket clubs by awarding them CEPEP contracts.
Bassarath made the appeal during his feature address on Saturday at the Jack Warner sponsored South East Zonal Council annual Awards Ceremony held at the Tableland Highschool in Tableland.
The top cricket administrator explained that “the powers that be” should invest more liberally in the cricketing community at every level starting with the clubs to ensure facilities and infrastructure are maintained and developed.
“A solid suggestion to get us started would be for the government to provide each properly constituted and functioning club with a CEPEP contract to be used in maintaining their facilities” recommended Bassarath.
He explained that the proper procedures must be followed to ensure that the system is transparent and the right clubs benefit.
“Such a move provides a win-win situation that is sustainable to all involved. With this in mind, I would like to reiterate and remind all our clubs that in order to properly benefit from the generousity of the government they must be registered with the Ministry of Social and Community Development and the Ministry of Sports” added Bassarath.
The TTCB president noted such ambitious plans must be complimented by the clubs who he identified as the key to the success of cricket in Trinidad and Tobago and the West Indies.
“I would like our clubs to take the initiative by being more proactive within our communities. While sport remains the driving focus of our organisation, I would like to see these groups embrace volunteerism and social work as a means to giving back to the communities in which they function” urged Bassarath.
He added “These types of activities will not only engender goodwill endearing clubs to communities, but will contribute to the harmonious and balanced development of individuals and their teams.”
The former chairman of the South East Zonal Council continued to pledge the commitment of the TTCB towards maintaining the success of the national team and playing an important role in the restoring West Indies cricket to the top of the international standings.
Under Bassarath’s tenure the national team retained their West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Limited Overs title, the national Under-13 team won the Goodwill Series against Barbados and the national Under-15 team were crowned West Indies Champions ending a four year drought. Currently different plans and strategies are being implemented by the TTCB to continue harnessing top cricketers.
“The TTCB will be conducting various seminars for club administrators so as to educate, inform and instill within our Zones this philosophy of excellence and to develop strategies for greater social contribution along with the tools administrators will need to improve their effectiveness in the status quo” said Bassarath.

Warner predicts TT in W/Cup 2014

2010-07-16T15:44:00.001-07:00

FIFA vice-president, Jack Austin Warner has predicted that Trinidad and Tobago would qualify for the 2014 World Cup which would be held in Brazil.
Warner publicly backed Spain for the 2010 tournament which was ended last Sunday with the European kings becoming only the eighth country to win the coveted trophy.
He told reporters shortly before officiating at a road paving ceremony at Calcutta # 2 Village, Freeport , this new prediction was not based on any foretelling by Paul the octopus but by two initiatives.
“The government will help and the number of seats I am quite sure will be increased for CONCACAF and against this background we shall qualify, mark my words,
“I do not need no octopus to tell you that, I am telling you now,” Warner said, though he did not elaborate on how many additional places may be awarded to the football region.
The CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football) qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA.
United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified.
Fourth place finishers Costa Rica played a two game play-off with South America fifth place finishers, Uruguay, for a possible fourth berth.
Uruguay qualified and reached the semi-finals of the tournament and later losing 3-2 to Germany in the play-off for third.

(www.newsday.co.tt)

WIPA cricket camps deemed a big success

2010-07-16T15:43:00.001-07:00

THE West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) has declared their Summer Cricket Camp 2010 a major success which was held at Presentation College, Chaguanas and San Fernando Technical Institute for Boys and Girls ages six to 17.
Cricket camps were held from July 5 to 9 and 12 to 16 which was met by a large turnout of young cricketers. WIPA revealed that their Point Fortin camp totaled over 130 young cricketers despite the inclement weather.
Therefore, WIPA has expressed interest in expanding the programme to different venues. The inaugural summer camps are a follow up to “WIPA in the Community Programme” which was started in Point Fortin as was sponsored by Atlantic LNG.
At the summer camps young cricketers were exposed to the rudiments of the game, attitudinal approach, discipline, concentration and sportsmanship.
Cricketers were provided with lunch, refreshments, T-shirts and provided with cricket gear and a certificate of participation.

(www.newsday.co.tt)

Ganga satisfied with T20 ‘prep’

2010-07-16T15:40:00.001-07:00

Daren Ganga

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

CAPTAIN of the Trinidad and Tobago cricket team, Daren Ganga has revealed that his squad has significantly benefitted from their short tour of Barbados as preparation continues for the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament which bowls of on July 22 in Barbados.

The national team played two matches against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) winning by 21 runs and seven runs respectively earlier this week.

In the first match the national team, batting first, made 154 for eight with Lendl Simmons scoring 57 and Adrian Barath— batting at number five— slamming 51 runs.

Left-arm spinner, Dave Mohammed took two for 14 as CCC were restricted to 133 for six. In the second match Trinidad and Tobago were dismissed for 154 with Darren Bravo stroking 52 runs. CCC in their run chase were limited to 147 for eight.

“I think we got exactly what we wanted from our trip to Barbados,” said Ganga yesterday after a team practice session at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.

“As you know that was a huge investment on the part of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board because of the inclement weather that has been preventing us from having outdoor cricket and matches and training sessions in the outfield.

“So the board has taken the initiative to invest in our short tour to Barbados where we played two games against CCC. It gave us an opportunity as a team to gel together, to try to zero in on the fact we are starting a competition pretty soon, so that is exactly what the doctor has ordered and we are just going to fine tune this next week before we hit that first game on the 22nd,” said Ganga.

The defending champions have been placed in Group “A” with Canada, Jamaica and the Leeward Islands. They will open the tournament against Canada and Ganga believes the team has its work cut out to be fully prepared.

“I think that there is always some room for improvement. I think our our cricket has suffered a lot because of the fact we have not had the opportunity to be out in the field and a do a lot of fielding sessions. So we are going to be focusing very hard on our out cricket in the buildup to this competition,” said Ganga.

Despite the inclement weather hampering the fielding form of the team the TT captain is pleased with the batsmen and is urging the bowlers to use their variations wisely during different points of the matches.

“I am happy and I am satisfied with the form of all our batters in the team. I think our bowlers just to get things right at different points in time, but I think it is all a matter of getting ourselves mentally attuned to this competition,” said Ganga.

He explained that the team is fully aware of the difficulty in retaining their regional title but the players are confident that continuing their Twenty20 dominance.

“We are well aware we cannot take anything for granted, we are aware that many teams will be coming very strong in this competition because of all the incentives that it has got. I think as a captain I could say I am satisfied so far, but I still want to see a lot of things happen between now and the 22nd,” said Ganga.

The winners of the Caribbean Twenty20 will qualify for the second edition of the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 tournament to be played in South Africa from September 10 to 26.

The Caribbean champions will be placed in Group “B” with Royal Challengers Bangalore, South Australian Redbacks, Highveld Lions and Mumbai Indians.

Ganga plans new strategies for Caribbean T20 cricket

2010-07-16T15:37:00.001-07:00

By KERN RAMLOCHAN

THE Trinidad and Tobago cricket team has been working on new strategies which they will execute in the Caribbean Twenty20 which bowls off on July 22 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Captain Daren Ganga has admitted that he was fearful that the team would become predictable and therefore new plans were formulated to ensure the regional dominance of the national team.
“Yes! I think that is one of the areas we need to guard against. That is one of the things I have stressed against the players. Players have got to be mindful that they cannot just take their game for granted, they must be able to come up with innovative ways of doing things,” said Ganga.
Opening batsman Adrian Barath was tried successfully batting at number five in a practice match against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) scoring 51 runs. Therefore, several surprises are expected from Trinidad and Tobago when they open the tournament against Canada at the Kensington Oval.
“I think in terms of our strategy we are going to alter our strategy a bit. A lot of teams are aware what Trinidad and Tobago present in a Twenty20 game and we are going to try as best as possible to camouflage how we play,” revealed Ganga.
The national captain was adamant that despite formulating strategies it would be useless if proper cricket was not played.
“I think at the end of the day although it is T20 cricket and it is a fast-pace game. It is important that we stick to the basics and do the basics very well,” said Ganga.
Ganga who has captained the West Indies Test team added that the new format of the tournament has eased the pressure on the national team. Teams have been put in two groups with Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Canada and the Leeward Islands in Zone “A” while Guyana, Windward Islands, CCC and Barbados compromise Zone “B”.
“It is a little more opportunity for you to breathe. It is a straight case of topping your group or getting in the first two and then getting straight into the semi-finals. I think in the Stanford 20/20 tournament it was a do or die situation as we played we had to win to progress,” explained Ganga.
However, the Alescon Comets player was adamant that the team will not be dropping their intensity and will be focused and prepared for each match since he believed that the weather will play a factor in the tournament.
“I think it is a little less pressure but again we are going to take every single game as a final because rain may play a part. There is going to be the Duckworth/Lewis, there is going to be points, there is going to be a whole lot of different factors that may come into play you know if the weather comes into being,” said Ganga.
The Humming Bird Gold Medal recipient felt he has the team to win the tournament with all-rounders Kevon Cooper and Imran Khan the new inclusions in the squad.
“I must say it is a very good bunch of guys given the amount of players we have got available. I think in terms of selecting any team you must make sure that your team has got variety, it is adaptable, its got a whole balance in terms of strength and youth.
“There are a lot of seasoned guys who have missed out and it is very unfortunate but I think so far in terms of combination we have a team here that can give us different combinations that will give us the success we want,” said Ganga.
Trinidad and Tobago has retained 12 players that finished as runners-up at the inaugural Airtel Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India late last year.

West Indies board reject advice to dump director

2010-06-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

THE West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has ignored legal advice that recommended disciplinary action be taken against one of their directors.
The director allegedly breached the WICB regulations during mediation with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) in September 2009.
During mediation between the WICB and WIPA which was overseen by Sir Shridath Ramphal, the director called a press conference where he gave the press, documents which were deemed privy to both parties.
The director then sent an email to the WICB president, Julian Hunte informing him that he had broken the Code of Ethics and would leave his future as a WICB Director at the disposal of the Board.
Official WICB documents seen by Newsday revealed that law firm Clarke Gittens Farmer of Barbados were hired to investigate the actions of the director who is also a member of a territorial board.
The commercial law firm in their findings stated that the director had violated the Code of Ethics and may be subject to disciplinary measures including dismissal.
Clarke Gittens Farmer submitted some of the following provisions after examining the Code of Ethics:
- “Each Director of the WICB owes and acknowledges that he owes, to the WICB, a fiduciary duty including a duty of care and loyalty and duty of confidentiality”
- “Each Director acknowledges that WICB information is and shall remain the exclusive property of the WICB and, if in the knowledge and/or possession of the Director, shall be treated in the strictest confidence and, if in the possession of the Director shall be returned to the WICB upon the Director demitting office for any reason or upon demand made by the WICB, whichever is earlier”
- “Each Director acknowledges that in carrying out his duties and obligations to the WICB, he will have access to WICB information and that information may be sensitive in nature and the Director, therefore, acknowledges his duty to preserve and maintain all WICB information in the strictest confidence during his appointment and as long thereafter as such information is confidential or proprietary and no Director shall disclose, use or in any other way part with or disseminate such information except to designated Government authorities as required by law or as ordered by a Court of competent jurisdiction”
- “No Director shall knowingly take advantage of or benefit from WICB Information which is obtained by him in the course of his official duties and responsibilities which is not generally available to the WICB membership or to the public”
- “No Director shall disclose any WICB Information entrusted to them in confidence by virtue of their relationship with the WICB. In particular, no disclosure shall be for personal gain or benefit, nor should it be undertaken maliciously to damage the reputation of the WICB or any other person individually involved”
- “No Director shall be engaged in or facilitate the reproduction, revelation or publication of WICB Information to any third party”
- “These duties of confidentiality will continue indefinitely or until such time that such information comes into the public domain, other than by breach of confidential obligation or until a Director is required, by law, to disclose such information”
- “Any Director who violates this Code may be subjected to disciplinary measures including dismissal. The Committee shall review all violations of this Code, which will then be reported to the Board, If appropriate, the Committee will also recommend sanctions to the Board for their ultimate determination”
- “Each Director has the obligation not only to abide by the Code of Ethics, but also to report violations of this Code when the become aware of them”
- “The WICB will jealously safeguard its reputation and the welfare of the game of cricket in the Region and shall, therefore, strictly enforce this Code”
- “All Directors are expected to use good judgement, protect the spirit of cricket and abide by this Code. Any violation may expose the Director and/or the WICB, to civil and criminal liability and may harm their reputation and therefore their ability to achieve their mission”
They added that the Code of Ethics, Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Board need to review the director’s breach and recommend sanctions.
Despite the breach the director’s actions have been tolerated by the WICB who have kept him on. According to Clarke Gittens Farmer, the director stated that he recognised that the documents was supposed to be confidential but felt obligated to make it available to the press.
The commercial law firm’s report noted that his initial resignation did not follow proper protocol and therefore he remains a director until the Board decides otherwise.

(Newday: www.newsday.co.tt)

Twenty20 and 50 over team selection

2010-05-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

The West Indies selectors within the last decade have become synonymous with poor team selection. Apparently the task of team selection has become a difficult process since selecting the best performing players in the West Indies in comparison to open heart surgery. In the past team selection was dictated by favourtism, island politics and sticking to the old successful formula of aggressive batsmen and an all pace attack.

The current selection panel chaired by Clyde Butts which includes Raphick Jumadeen and Robert Haynes have been the worse to hold the post. They have made a hash of recent series against Australia, ICC World T20 Champions and now in the process for the Digicel Home Series against South Africa. In response to their Twenty20 team named to face South Africa I will select my team which I think would have won the ICC World T20 hosted in the Caribbean and beat South Africa in the

West Indies selectors:
Chris Gayle (capt), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain), Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor.
Wavell Hinds (World T20)

My team:
Chris Gayle (Captain) - Selected to open the batting and provide an explosive start to the innings. His cool persona and experience has earned him the position as captain. He will also be expected to bowl his off-break.

William Perkins - Will open the batting with Gayle and will offer a right hand/left hand combination at the top of the order. Perkins will remove the pressure on Gayle to score quickly. Also his innovative shot selection and ability to play spin will be vital.

Lendl Simmons - Expected to bat at number three. He adds another attacking dimension to the team. Simmons is another innovative stroke player and can play spin bowling easily. He is also an exceptional fieldsman and is a useful medium pacer.

Denesh Ramdin - He is the best wicketkeeper in the Caribbean and among the best in the world. Ramdin would bat four in my team because he has the ability to guide the innings. He has suffered from coming in the wicket with the West Indies in contrasting situations. Either he is asked to save the innings or have a quick blast. He has enjoyed great success batting for Trinidad and Tobago at this position.

Ramnaresh Sarwan - The Guyanese batsman would add further stability to the middle order. He is not as aggressive as Gayle but has the exceptional ability to rotate the strike and find the gaps. Sarwan is a good player of spin bowling and will add more grit to the middle order.

Dwayne Bravo - The allrounder is another good player of spin and will form a strong middle order. He can alternate with Sarwan in the batting lineup depending on the situation of the match. The Trinidadian is also a vital option with the ball and is electric in the field.

Kieron Pollard - Can hit the ball hard and be useful with the ball.

Sherwin Ganga - The best bowling allrounder in the Twenty20 format from the West Indies. He has been over looked but is an easy pick for my team. He is a big game player, bowls a miserly off-break, a tremendous fieldsman and can bat.

Darren Sammy - Good allrounder. He will hold his place due to his consistency and outstaing work rate.

Kemar Roach - Tremendous pace and will trouble any batsmen.

Ravi Rampaul - A bit overweight but is consistent and will provide a strong spell once used in the right way.

Jerome Taylor - Quick pacer with a great deal of experience and can bat also.

Suliemann Benn - A good spin option. He will be deceptive with his height and accuracy.

Darren Bravo - Attacking batsman and athletic fieldsman.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (50 over matches only) - Would be left out of Twenty20 matches to blood younger players. Will be a vital part of the 50 over team.

Social ills of elections

2010-05-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

With Trinidad and Tobago in election mode and the United National Congress (UNC) and their alliance along with the People's National Movement (PNM) locked in battle for the right to govern this Caribbean island I cannot think how sick I am of this atmosphere. I don't want to hear about politics, not because I don't care or I am sick of the customary promises and attacks by each party on each other, but because I am disgusted by the aggression and hate which comes out during this period.

I am sick of radio programmes by talk show hosts such as Gladiator, Om Balla, Skippy, Fitzgerald Hinds and Sadro which cultivates this environment of hate and disunity. Politics is a risky field and I accept that the people who are seeking election to office want to win but at what cost to society? There is no room in my heart or mind for hate on any level far less for politics. I am always ashamed to be Trinidadian during election time because it brings out the worst in people.

Hopefully, this elections will past quickly so everybody can get on with their lives and resume their normal routine without having the thought of elections hover around. While I respect free speech on the radio, television and print media I think everyone who works in these areas should examine themselves and their actions. Some people may be able to live with what they portray to the public and some may not. It is up to the individual to understand difference in choice does not mean difference in treatment at the cost of etiquette.

A new way is needed to take Trinidad and Tobago through this process without inciting hate, fear and insecurity among citizens. Politicians have frequently used God on the political platform and while this sickens me, hopefully they can realise that while God has no political favourite he would not divide people for control.

Citizens should understand that their passion for a political party must not alienate their neighbour, collegue, friend or family. Friendship is a greater gift which any politician can promise and we must be brave and bold it our stance during this critical period to treat each other with decency and respect. I am not sure what the average person would do, by I was not raised to follow the crowd and submit my beliefs to that of the majority.

All time low

2010-03-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

With Zimbabwe beating the West Indies comfortably by 26 runs at the Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain and claiming the first One-Day International at Providence in Guyana by two runs in the 2010 Digicel Home Series it is safe to say that cricket in the Caribbean has reached its lowest point. Whatever the excuses or the reason given by the players or administrators there is no denying that West Indian cricket is going nowhere. Stop gaps have been administer throughout the years but ultimatley nothing of serious consequence which could allieviate the pain felt by Caribbean supporters.

As the string of losses continue there is no outburt by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) concerning repairing the problems destroying the fabric of Caribbean pride and unity. No explanation will be given concerning team selection, no selectors will shoulder any blame, the administration will continue to manage cricket in privacy. The only public statements are made when bickering between WIPA and the WICB commences with each fighting for the affection of the West Indian supporters.

Slowly the standard of West Indian cricket has eroded along with its finances and facilities. Nothing but promises are made and it brings into question about the ability of Caribbean people to govern themselves successfully. With corruption and inefficiency rampant throughout Caribbean governments it should be no surprise that the WICB could do no better.

It is difficult to see where the West Indies team can go from here. There are some promising players in the team but it seems that they are doomed to failure. Who can blame players for seeking their Twenty20 interest! They could have a chance to be part of a professional setup and experience what it is like to win while also there is the lucrative aspect.

We want to stamp authority

2010-02-25T20:29:00.001-08:00

ZIMBABWE held their first training session yesterday at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain in preparation for the 2010 Digicel Home Series against the West Indies which starts with a Twenty20 match on Sunday.
Missing from the Zimbabwean practice session was influential opening batsman Brendan Taylor who was left in Johannesburg due to visa complications.
However, Taylor is scheduled to arrive at the Piarco International Airport tonight ruling him out of the warm-up match against the University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor’s XI tomorrow at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St Augustine.
The tourists had early an morning run followed by a gym session before a physical session on the Queen’s Park Oval outfield then closing with a net session.
Experienced wicketkeeper/batsman Tatenda Taibu explained that the team is confident of competing with the West Indies.
“We want to win the series and we really want to start playing hard cricket again. Zimbabwe cricket has been respected in ups and downs but we really want to stamp our authority now and start performing at every expectation.
“There is a lot of time that the guys have said that there is a lot of talent in Zimbabwe and we really have to put it to show now. It is not only about the talent, we have talked about the maturity, we need to blend the two and play some decent cricket,” said Taibu before the training session yesterday.
The former Zimbabwe captain acknowledged that the team needs to be consistent in all departments of the game if they are to secure a series win.
“I think cricket is not about one side or concentrating on one side but putting the three departments into play. We really have to field well, we really have to bowl well both our seamers and our spinners.
“The batting department we really have to play well especially in the middle period, knowing in the past we have struggled a little bit overs 15 up to 40. But now we have got a few guys with maturity playing in the middle period so we should really blend well with the first 15 overs with the middle period and the death,” said Taibu.
He explained that the team in young in age but not in experience and is confident that the veteran players will bring an added advantage. “Obviously I am one of the older guys were in the team and I have played with a lot of players, the likes of Heath Streak, Andrew Flower and now we have a young side and a maturing side.
“We have a young side in age but not really in games. We have the likes of Stuart Matsikenyeri, Chris Mopfu they have played a lot of games about 100, so we have got a bit of maturity in the team at the moment. So we are looking to play a lot of good cricket, it is good to be in the West Indies, I have been here before and it is great playing cricket here again,” said Taibu.
Zimbabwe bowling coach Heath Streak on Tuesday revealed that the players were coming off their domestic Twenty20 competition and is confident of providing fierce competition for the West Indies
“Twenty20 format in Zimbabwe was really great. The tournament was really organised there was some really good cricket played. Huge scores were scored, Hamilton Masakadza got a hundred.
“We had good bowling, death bowling and a mixture of spin; leg-spin, off-spin. It was really exciting allround, serious catches were taken so we want to try and take that confidence into this game we want to try and take that form into these games and play some exciting cricket,” said Taibu.
“Twenty20 is exciting it is not only about only explosive cricket it is about mental cricket as well, reading situations so it is exciting for the youngsters. Obviously we have youngsters both in Zimbabwe and West Indies so it will be exciting and Twenty20 is really exciting for the crowd and I am sure they will come in huge numbers to expect some good cricket,” he said.
Taibu who was Zimbabwe’s first black captain said that the team was recovering from jet lag after travelling for 36-hours and expressed his excitement about playing in the Caribbean once again.
“The guys are use to that (jet lag), we are professional cricketers we try to focus at the job at hand. Like I said earlier there is a lot of experience in the side. The guys have traveled a lot and they know how to get their bodies back into full functioning,” said Taibu.

Stick fingers Henry puts FIFA on the spot

2009-11-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

Ireland captain, Robbie Keane, right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring against France.

For a brief moment on Wednesday night France striker Thierry Henry thought he was Kobe Bryant and was driving to the basket to layup Paul Gasol for a game winning dunk in over time. To Henry's dismay he was not playing basketball and the use of his hand to control the ball before passing to William Gallas who scored the eventual winner is as controversial as it gets. Irish hopes were dashed after a brave performance at the State de France and the circumstances which resulted in French qualification for FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa will be shrouded in controversy for time to come.

The complicated matter facing FIFA right now is what to do about Henry. The world's governing body has been put in an embarrassing situation after one of its poster boys for Fair Play was caught with sticky fingers. Will FIFA show the courage to discipline Henry? or will they allow the matter to be caught in the bureaucratic process which will see Henry able to evade a possible suspension and play at the World Cup. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) will be looking for justice and rightly so after they were robbed of a coveted place at the World Cup.

Any lackluster attempt by FIFA to side step the issue or Henry getting off with a slap on the wrist is detrimental to the future of football. The message sent to players and children will not be in the best interest of football and this is the defining moment of FIFA's Fair Play campaign whether they know it or not . Anything less than full justice will only derail the progress made in promoting Fair Play and developing that culture while in the process exposing the fact that having the world's stars at the World Cup is much more important to generate significant amounts of television revenue.

France striker, Thierry Henry, centre, passes the ball after using his hand to control the ball.

A ban on Henry will benefit the player and football. Henry's legacy has taken a massive blow and serving a ban would only rehabilitate his image. He could hold his head high once more since he would have paid for his actions, as opposed to getting away with little or no punishment and being joked about behind his back for the rest of his life. Also football will send the right message to the future generation of footballers and its fan base with FIFA's reputation coming away unscathed.

I have heard several people say that any footballer in Henry's position would have done the same thing. Honestly I think that is a great deal of rubbish to brand all players as going for the easy option. The actions of Henry has shown several things about what the French team has endured. It is no secret that the team has struggled through its World Cup campaign. Such action shows the pressure on the team to qualify, that its captain, their inspirational leader would do the unthinkable to secure World Cup qualification. I believe that this incident will follow the team and only make things worse for coach Raymond Domeneche whose players had to resort to a despicable act to secure a World Cup berth against a spirited Irish unit.

The match against Ireland will show that great players succumb to pressure. Also there will be a greater impetus for video technology to be used to help eradicate such incidents. FIFA will have to act quickly to mend the problem caused by Henry. If they choose to shift the spotlight to the World Cup draw and not address the issue they are creating a serious problem which they will not be able to control in the future.

Top 10 silly sporting moments (2009)

2009-11-11T22:36:00.000-08:00

1. Deryck Murray and Forbes Persaud claiming that their 'Friends of Cricket' slate would win the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board's Annual General Meeting. How wrong were they! Movement for Change sealed the election and made Murray and Persaud who boasted and bragged about for almost the entire year look like Ernie and Bert.

2. West Indies captain, Chris Gayle suggesting that his preference is Twenty20 cricket ahead of Test cricket. The Jamaican must be listening to Movado a great deal too much.

3. Trinidad and Tobago football team standard of play for the FIFA 2010 World Cup qualifiers. What a joke of a team! I think Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy are starting to contemplate if they should come out retirement AGAIN for the next campaign.

4. Gary Hunte and the Ministry of Sport. So many incidents to be named....it would be a shame to waste this space.

5. The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation charging $200 for uncovered seats to that horrendous team play football. Somebody need to smack Oliver Camps and the crew.

6. This list will be incomplete without Floyd Reifer. More confidence must have been had with Courtney Walsh with the bat. Thanks for the cameo.

7. Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba. Lost for words here and there is a strange feeling the facility will make my 2010 list.

8. West Indies manager, Joel Garner by endorsing an understrength team be selected for the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa citing loyalty to the replacement players. What about loyalty to the Caribbean public? I think we deserve to see a side share something.

9. Secondary School Football League and the fans. I still cannot believe that people watch this filth. What is worse somebody got killed at a game. Horrible football and death?

10. Kung Fu Panda. Google it and you will understand. Yes these people are from Trinidad.

Trinidad and Tobago will win the regional four-day tournament in style

2009-11-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

The Trinidad and Tobago cricket team will win the forthcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Four Day title. For the past three years the prestigious title has eluded the national team but the three year barren spell will be ended. I do believe that the national team will win the tournament by some distance if their matches are not hampered by rain. Several reasons have given me the confidence to make this bold prediction two month before the tournament commences.

Firstly there is a new administration headed by Azim Bassarath operating the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB). Bassarath's Movement for Change slate overwhelmed predecessor Deryck Murray's Friends of Cricket team to take control of the TTCB at its Annual General Meeting last month. In Bassarath's first week at the helm of the TTCB he acknowledged that the national team has been a dominant force in limited overs cricket but he stressed that more emphasis will be placed on winning the WICB Four Day title. The TTCB president has shown the courage that the ICC has lacked and placed the importance on the longest version of the game and molding players for these matches. Bassarath is also a vastly experienced and efficient administrator who will provide players with all the tools necessary on and off the field to perform at their best. He also has and experienced staff which includes Dudnath Ramkessoon, Dr Allen Sammy, Patrick Rampersad and Baldath Mahabir.

Along with these experienced cricket administrators he has already mended problems the TTCB has with the West Indies Players' Association and has an array for former Test and national cricketers ranging from Rangy Nanan to Aneil Rajah to play an important role in player and youth development. An advantage the new administration possess is the fact that they are open to new ideas and are always looking at new mechanisms to improve its performance and the development of cricket.

The players in the Trinidad and Tobago setup are superior to those from most of the other Caribbean islands. National allrounder, Sherwin Ganga shares the same sentiment that other players throughout the region are not up to the level cricketers from Trinidad and Tobago are at. Despite there being depleted numbers in the amount of quality youth cricketers being produced there are players who have been in the national setup for a long time that are young who can press a claim for selection.

Talented cricketers such as Richard Kelly, Mario Belcon, Magnum Nanan, Jason Mohammed and Shannon Gabriel have been in or around the national team for some time and have the quality to make any regional team. Kelly, 25, has played 41 first-class matches for Trinidad and Tobago and has immense potential and will provide competition for a place on the team roster. Combined with outstanding youth talents such as Yannic Cariah, Kissondath Magram, Yannick Ottley and Evin Lewis Trinidad and Tobago will be difficult opposition to defeat.

Sherwin Ganga, centre, and Denesh Ramdin celebrate the dismissal of Andrew Strauss

The Airtel Champions League Twenty20 tournament has in my view reinvigorated the team. Players who have been overlooked by the West Indies selectors constantly were given an opportunity to show their talents. Due to their excellent performances questions have been raised about the selection policy. New South Wales Blues have hired former West Indies coach, John Dyson as a scout for the Caribbean and I am sure more clubs will do the same in an attempt to sign the next superstar. Therefore players who might have been jaded have been given new motivation with alternative career choices being presented. Spinner Dave Mohammed looks a new players and much will be expected from him. Mohammed, 30, will also have to accept his new role as tutor to his eventual replace. He will soon acknowledge that there might be five years of cricket in him still and with spinner Magnum Nanan and Kissondath Magram, the wily left arm unorthodox spinner will be crucial is shaping the news national team spin attack.

It cannot be ignored that Trinidad and Tobago have underperformed at the longest version of the game. However, I think with a resurgent Daren Ganga leading the team as well as the options he has at his disposal it should be much for difficult to lose. There is at least four quality players for every spot on the national team. If players are absent through international duty or injury the teams also has the character to adjust and make its weakness a strength. A prime example has been Sherwin Ganga who started last season as a questionable selections but has now fully owned the number seven position in the team guiding the lower order with his responsible and elegant batting and providing a menacing as well as reliable off-spin option.

Again the leadership of Daren Ganga and the immaculate preparation and experience of coach Kelvin Williams are the final pieces of the puzzle in the Trinidad and Tobago juggernaut. Daren Ganga has been there and done it all and he brings a calming presence in tense situations. This coupled with the fact that he has experienced players such as Dwyane Bravo and Denesh Ramdin to call on for advice gives Trinidad and Tobago an edge most teams throughout the world will be envious off. Williams has played in the Caribbean, England and Australia with great success. He is the thinking man's captain and is able to bring consistency to the team. Taking over from David Williams who was with also successful with the team, there is now signs of Kelvin's influence on the players and he has created his own successful atmosphere with the team.

TT cricketers secure sponsor on their own

2009-10-03T23:23:00.001-07:00

TRINIDAD and Tobago cricketers have taken a bold proactive initiative in securing a major sponsor for the team which is set to compete at the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India.

The veteran players on the national team were able to land a lucrative deal with Venky’s (India) Limited which is part of the VH Group.

Venky’s will be the main sponsor of the team and their image is expected to be placed on the national team’s jersey. The sponsorship will only be for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament and is reported to be in the region of US$100,000.

It is reported that Venky’s, TTCB and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) are finalising the details of the contract which will greatly enhance the chances of the team playing successfully in the lucrative competition.

Trinidad and Tobago are scheduled to depart on Sunday for India and there was growing uncertainty about the inability of the TTCB to secure a major sponsor ahead of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.

However, the influence and marketing ability of players such as captain Daren Ganga, Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, Lendl Simmons and Ravi Rampaul enabled the team to attract the India sponsor.

Venky’s (India) Limited was established in 1976 mainly to produce day-old layer and broiler chicks for poultry markets of North India. The company has diversified over the years and their portfolio also includes animal health products, pellet feeds, processed and further processed chicken products, solvent oil extraction and Specific Pathogen-Free Eggs.

Venky’s (India) Limited has also expanded away from poultry and is also involved with manufacturing facilities for nutritional health products for humans, pet food and health care products. Forbes Business magazine ranked Venky’s (India) Limited at 67th among the 100 best global small companies between 1999-2000.

Trinidad and Tobago are in Group “A” along with Indian Premier League Champions Deccan Chargers and English Twenty20 runners-up Somerset County.

The national team will bowl off their campaign against Somerset County on October 12 in Bangalore followed by Deccan Chargers on October 14 in Hyderabad. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knock-out stages of the tournament.

Should Trinidad and Tobago emerge outstanding in the Champions League Twenty20 Championship, Venky’s will become internationally known.

http://newsday.co.tt/sport/0,108456.html

Windies cricket boss slams Murray for boycott tactics

2009-10-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

NEWLY re-elected president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Dr Julian Hunte has strongly condemned the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) for their boycott of the regional body’s Annual General Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda earlier this month.

TTCB president Deryck Murray announced the action at their annual presentation function, one day before the WICB meeting saying that they wanted to send a strong signal about the manner in which cricket is governed in the region. Murray also said he was peeved that the PJ Patterson Report on the restructuring of West Indies cricket was not being implemented.

Since then the TTCB actions have been strongly criticised locally and regionally and has even spurred a campaign for the removal of Murray and Chief Executive Officer Forbes Persaud at the organisation’s election of officers later this year.

In a letter to the TTCB, Dr Hunte, a former St Lucian diplomat at the United Nations in New York slammed the tactics of the TTCB in informing the media of their planned action instead of alerting the WICB.

In doing so, Dr Hunte said, Murray had denied the regional cricket officials the opportunity to “discuss and appropriately respond” to the concerns.

“I fail to understand how you expect transformation by boycotting the very forum that allows you as a shareholder to table a position or resolution of moving forward. There is no louder statement that could have been made but for the TTCB to come to the AGM and table a document outlining how we have failed in responding to our challenge and suggesting solutions,” Dr Hunte stated in his customary no-nonsense manner.

“Unless the TTCB can show conclusively that it has clear and practical solutions to resolve the challenge facing territorial boards and the WICB and a commitment to the effort to address these challenges then it will always appear that the boycott and letter do not tell the full story,” Dr Hunte stated.

Hunte questioned the stated motives behind the TTCB boycott since he said Murray never voiced any concerns about the PJ Patterson Report and the governance of West Indies cricket while having ample opportunity to do so at board meetings.

“When the Patterson Report was discussed, you were included and I cannot find any record of your position being different to that of any other on the board. I cannot see how the TTCB could have been part of the process, help shape our responses and now chant a convenient refrain that we have not responded to the Patterson Report,” said Hunte.

The WICB president also unleashed a scathing attack on former physical education school teacher Persaud who has been quoted in the international media as considering breaking away from West Indies cricket as an independent playing nation.

“I was surprised by the actions of the TTCB. If for no other reason was the impression that the WICB was so defiant and incapable. Surely, the authority to do so must rest on a display of outstanding achievements that suggests that a new leadership and approach can do better.

“How then can a claim that some members of the TTCB were thinking of breaking away from the WICB be a sign of more progressive approach to leadership of West Indies cricket? Has TTCB really thought this through? Having broken ranks, the TTCB would have to apply to the ICC to be an affiliate member and then spend years to rise in the ranks to become an associate member,” said Dr Hunte.

“Then there is the consequence of not attending the AGM. Again did the TTCB really think this through and seek legal advice? It was the other territorial boards’ love for West Indies cricket and Trinidad cricket that led the board to inform you that by boycotting and not submitting the names of your directors to the AGM, the TTCB was in effect removing itself from the deliberation and discussions of the WICB as it would have no directors on the WICB Board.”

Dr Hunte urged the TTCB to be more thoughtful about West Indies cricket and to be part of the solution instead of adding to the problems facing the game in the Caribbean.

“We are in a difficult situation and there are tremendous challenges. We cannot move forward unless we resolve some of the outstanding issues that face our cricket boards. We need all our resources on board to provide guidance and support and the TTCB is critical in that regard.

We do not want the TTCB on the outside issuing statements to the press but on the inside pushing for change and accepting responsibility to lead various components that need to be changed,” stated Dr Hunte.

http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/print,0,105955.html

WICB chief queries TTCB cricket motives

2009-10-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

PRESIDENT of the West Indies Cricket board Dr Julian Hunte has queried the motives of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) boycott led by president Deryck Murray of the WICB’s Annual General Meeting held in Antigua and Barbuda last month.

The TTCB had indicated to the media that “they wanted to send a message to the WICB” about their alleged inaction on the PJ Patterson Report which focuses on restructuring the governance of West Indies cricket.

The TTCB said their action was a signal to the WICB that it was not a time for “business as usual” clearly expressing their disapproval on how West Indies cricket is governed.

But recent documents provided to Newsday strongly suggest that TTCB president Murray was present at a WICB Special Executive Meeting held at the Bay Gardens Hotel in St Lucia on May 5, 2008 where the Governance Committee with Chairman PJ Patterson and Dr Ian McDonald extensively reviewed the implementation of their report.

And there was no mention in the minutes of the meeting about Murray expressing his displeasure about the governance of West Indies cricket. At the meeting, Chief Executive Officer of the WICB, Dr Donald Peters provided a draft document approved at a board meeting on February 23 and 24, 2008 which was widely circulated, including on the WICB’s website about the status of recommendations of the Governance Committee.

The minutes of the meeting revealed that the structure of the board, West Indies Academy, re-branding and youth development were discussed with measures being implemented.

Also WICB president, Julian Hunte reminded board members about the decision to reduce the size of the executive in keeping with the PJ Patterson Report to one representative from each territory, five non- members and one Director from CARICOM as they try to improve the administrative capacity of the WICB.

Now Dr Hunte has expressed shock on learning of the reasons behind the TTCB boycott.

“I was surprised by the action of the TTCB. If for no other reason was the impression that the WICB was so deficient and incapable” said Hunte in a strongly worded letter to Murray. “When the Patterson Report was discussed, you were included and I cannot find any record of your position being different to that of any other board. I cannot see how the TTCB could have been part of a process, help shape our responses and now chant a convenient refrain that we have not responded to the Patterson Report.”

Several leading members from the cricket fraternity have expressed concerns about the actions of the TTCB. The latest person to criticise the action was former Minister of Sport, Manohar Ramsaran.

Hunte urged Murray and his administration to put greater thought into their actions and consider the consequences they may face.

“Did the TTCB think this through and seek legal advice? It was the other territorial board’s love for West Indies cricket and Trinidad cricket that led the board to inform you that by boycotting and not submitting the names of your Directors to the AGM, the TTCB was in effect removing itself from the deliberation and discussions of the WICB as it would have no Directors on the WICB,” said Hunte.

http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,106477.html

Johnson named Cricketer of the Year

2009-10-01T23:08:00.000-07:00

Top cricketers at the ICC Awards

Australia bowler Mitchell Johnson was named Cricketer of the Year at the prestigious LG ICC Awards, held at a glittering ceremony in Johannesburg.

Johnson was also named in the ICC World Test Team of the Year, as chosen by a panel of some of the greats of the game. The 27-year-old fast bowler has had a magnificent year with the ball and has become one the world’s most dangerous and determined players.

Johnson was joined on the winners’ list by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who took the ODI Player of the Year award for the second year in a row, while his team-mate Gautam Gambhir was named Test Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, England’s Claire Taylor followed in the footsteps of her captain Charlotte Edwards to become the Women’s Player of the Year and Ireland skipper William Porterfield left with the Associate Player of the Year gong, an award recognising the contribution that the teams below Full Member status are making to the world of cricket.

In total there were eight individual awards handed out, as well as a Spirit of Cricket Award and the two ICC Teams of the Year – for Tests and ODIs.

Aleem Dar of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires won the Umpire of the Year award for the first time, while New Zealand took the Spirit of Cricket Award as it did in 2004.

The Twenty20 International Performance of the Year was won by Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan who became the second-ever recipient of the honour. Dilshan took the trophy following his impressive 96 not out off 57 balls against the West Indies during the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England.

ICC President David Morgan said: “This past year of cricket has been another exciting one for players and supporters around the world in a time that included the ICC Women’s World Cup, the ICC Men’s and Women’s World Twenty20 and plenty of competitive Test and ODI cricket. These players have contributed hugely to our enjoyment and this night is all about recognising that excellence. This is the sixth annual LG ICC Awards night and each year it gains in prestige and importance.”

The full list of winners is:

Cricketer of the Year Award – Mitchell Johnson (Aus)

Test Player of the Year Award – Gautam Gambhir (Ind)

ODI Player of the Year – Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind)

Women's Cricketer of the Year – Claire Taylor (Eng)

Emerging Player of the Year – Peter Siddle (Aus)

Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year – William Porterfield (Ire)

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year – Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)

Spirit of Cricket Award – New Zealand

Umpire of the Year Award – Aleem Dar

Test Team of the Year is as follows (in batting order):

Gautam Gambhir (Ind)

Andrew Strauss (Eng)

AB de Villiers (SA)

Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)

Thilan Samaraweera (SL)

Michael Clarke (Aus)

MS Dhoni (Ind, WK and captain)

Shakib Al Hasan (Ban)

Mitchell Johnson (Aus)

Stuart Broad (Eng)

Dale Steyn (SA)

12^th man: Harbhajan Singh (Ind)

ODI Team of the Year is as follows (in batting order):

Virender Sehwag (Ind)

Chris Gayle (WI)

Kevin Pietersen (Eng)

Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL)

Yuvraj Singh (Ind)

Martin Guptill (NZ)

MS Dhoni (Ind, WK and captain)

Andrew Flintoff (Eng)

Nuwan Kulasekara (SL)

Ajantha Mendis (SL)

Umar Gul (Pak)

12^th man: Thilan Thushara (SL)

Is TT dynamics right?

2009-09-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Dwayne Bravo hits out for the Mumbai Indians

After the abysmal performance of the West Indies team at the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa in September most West Indians will be shift their focus to the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India. All eyes will be on Trinidad and Tobago who will be representing the West Indies region after copping the Stanford 20/20 tournament in Antigua. Trinidad and Tobago have been one of the best Twenty20 teams in the Caribbean even losing to England by one run at the Stanford Super Series. With the best Twenty20 teams around the globe competing for the for the US$2.5million jackpot Trinidad and Tobago will fancy its chances along with the other teams.

There is a great deal of experience in the team provided by Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, and captain Daren Ganga. Dwayne and Ramdin will be the key for Trinidad and Tobago since they have had the most experience playing on the sub continent. Allrounder Dwayne has competed for two season in the Indian Premier League and will be familiar with the conditions in India and the players. His wisdom and the ability to transfer his knowledge effectively to less experienced players could be the difference between a first round exit or a place in the knockout stage. Ramdin being the vice-captain of the West Indies and being an impact player will have a great deal of influence. The wicketkeeper/batsman like Dwayne can read the pace of the game and knows how to manipulate game conditions to his advantage. Daren Ganga has been a good leader for Trinidad and Tobago but his major test will be actually contributing in the runs column and not burdening his team.

The wild cards in the national team are William Perkins and Kieron Pollard. However, more stress is placed on Perkins because he will start the innings most likely with Lendl Simmons. If Perkins is able to adapt to conditions in India quickly it will be difficult for any bowling attack in the tournament to stop him. The attacking W Connection Wanderers batsman fancies situations like these where he is considered the underdog and I expect will come good at the highest stage. A bonus is that Head of Selectors Narine Bidhesi who is a club mate of Perkins will be with the team and should provide a steadying influence for him. Pollard has deceived many people since bursting onto the scene in the inaugural Stanford 20/20 tournament and regional tournaments. If he can get his act together and bat with sense as opposed to try and hit everything Trinidad and Tobago could post consistent total of 170 runs and above in each match.

The bowling department is quite solid with Ravi Rampaul and Rayad Emrit leading the pace attack which will be aided by Dwayne and Pollard. There is some concern about Emrit since his last outing with the West Indies team in India was not a memorable one. The Alescon Comets pacer has been consistent for the national team in the Twenty20 version. Navin Stewart has also been included and should be a useful player. His selection in the team ahead of Richard Kelly is questionable. Kelly is a much better batsman and an attacking bowler, but Stewart posesses a fighting attitude.

Off-spinner Sunil Narine was a surprise inclusion in the team. Also the fact that he has a 'suspect' bowling action will not help his cause. The national selectors has identified him as a possible secret weapon for the tournament and his ability to turn the ball both ways could make his the new star of the team. Being selected ahead of Rishi Bachan and Sanjiv Gooljar is a testament to his talent and potential.

Samuel Badree and Sherwin Ganga will provide useful spin options. However, I believe that Sherwin Ganga will be targeted during the tournament. He bowls at a critical time in the match and being the least naturally talented of the spinners would be under scrutiny. But his character is much different from most players on the team. Sherwin thrives in high pressure situations and has always delivered when the bigger names in the team struggled and should be the difference between winning and losing.

The biggest question mark surrounds Adrian Barath. Prolific at the four day version and 50-over format he is yet to make an impact in the shortest form of the game. It is difficult for me to understand why Barath was selected on the team since he was never given a chance at regional Twenty20 tournaments. Justin Guillen was a failure during the Stanford Super Series and instead Barath should have been picked ahead of him for that tournament. Hopefully he can make an impact like Darren Bravo who has thrived at the Twenty20 version. Barath has played under immense scrutiny since making his debut for the national team at age 16 and could be a surprise performer.

I do believe that Trinidad and Tobago will have a good tournament. But I cannot see them winning the Champions League Twenty20 tournament. There are to many 'if' factors in the team. Uncertainty around Narine and Barath coupled with the exclusion of Kelly is not the best recipe for success. Also all of Trinidad and Tobago's Twenty20 success has come while playing in the Caribbean and it would be a monumental task to win in India.

WICB Release

2009-09-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

In recent months there have been considerable public dialogue and official negotiations that seek to address many of the challenges that face the advancement of West Indies cricket, both as a peoples’ culture, and as an international standard of performance of West Indian people.

Much of this has focused on the ongoing decline in the performance of the West Indies Team, a process of decline which began in the mid-1990s. Some of it, however, has sought to link the performance of the Test Team to the governance structure of the WICB and its management operation which we have long admitted is under resourced and in need of further skills development.

While we recognize the critical importance of these matters, we should also be aware that more severe challenges have become cancerous in West Indies cricket. Some of these challenges are not unique to West Indies cricket, though they are having a severe impact on our business on and off the field.

The first of these relates to the indiscipline and lack of accountability that afflicts many of our cricketers; we are now feeling the full impact of this development. Our great former captain, Clive Lloyd, has spoken of this mentality and indicated that is a matter to be addressed now or all will be lost.

Some West Indies players have refused, over a period of two years, to sign their contracts, and have refused to represent the West Indies. They have withdrawn their services in a manner and at a time calculated to inflict maximum damage upon the WICB’s ability to manage the affairs of West Indies cricket.

Some have argued that this indiscipline and unaccountability should be overlooked and ignored for the sake of short term convenience. We are concerned about the message which this sends to West Indian youth and our society in general at a time of great turbulence in West Indian society.

The WICB is seeking through the collective bargaining process to find common ground with WIPA on a new Memorandum of Understanding that will put these matters behind us and establish a true partnership agreement between the Board and its Players. No player will be allowed in future to represent West Indies cricket on the field without a signed contract. This is a principle we have implemented. The current players that are representing the West Indies at the ICC Championship event in South Africa have all signed their contracts.

The WICB has set out a clear path to restore normalcy and promote development over the coming months. In addition, we are implementing a number of policies that we believe will redound to the benefit of the sport in our region, such as:
all players must represent their countries in the regional competition during October and November in order to be eligible for selection to the Test and ODI Teams which will tour Australia at the end of the year. This is a necessary step to restore discipline and commitment and lay the foundation for optimum performance.

The Regional Tournament will be restored to the traditional standard as mandatory.
Academy.
The WICB has agreed to establish in October 2009 a Cricket Academy which will be a regional academy network, headquartered within the UWI system, and which will be supported by Sagicor Financial Corporation. This is a major project and will be a critical part of our renewed effort at modernization. The Sagicor/WICB Academy will assist in the development of a new mentality and level of professionalism among our future and current players.
Patterson Report

The WICB, as agreed with the Caricom Cricket Sub-committee under the distinguished chairmanship of the Hon. Baldwin Spencer, will implement the establishment of a Cricket Stakeholders’ Council. There will be a Caricom/WICB Cricket Conference at which the details of this Council will be set out. As stated before, Professor Greene of Caricom and Professor Beckles of UWI are working towards a date of November 28, 2009 for this conference, from which the Council will emerge.

At our last meeting with the Caricom Cricket Sub-committee this agreement to have a stakeholders’ Council, in an advisory capacity to the WICB for three (3) years in the first instance with a subsequent view to further reforms, was accepted as a critical, progressive step to deeper and wider participation of all stakeholders in the affairs of WICB.

By the end of this year we will have our strongest available Team in Australia, and we would have discharged our ethical and professional obligation to the courageous young players who stepped up and represented West Indies cricket at a most difficult time. These young players are the future and we are proud of them, and wish them the best in South Africa. They will return home and mingle with the senior players in the regional competition. West Indies cricket will be the stronger for it. WICB was pleased with the firm and visionary support the team received from Sir Garry Sobers, Dr. Rudi Webster, Rev. Dr. Wes Hall, Mr. Rawle Brancker, and all the other stalwarts who wish to see discipline and dedication return to West Indies cricket.

Our standing as a legacy world cricket culture is dependent on the resolution of these issues that have been degenerating for over a decade. We have given our international partners the assurance that we will deal with these challenges (as we gave them support when it was their turn to have similar experiences) and that a deliberate path has been laid out to restore the pride of West Indies cricket.

We are urging the public, all stakeholders of West Indies cricket, and especially our committed players and our governments, to lend their support to the path we have laid out, and the institutional reforms we have in train.
We are aware of the passions raised and the feelings of hurt being experienced, but we urge our fans, supporters, and governments especially, to recognize that at this time, the best path for West Indies cricket is that which we have carefully set out, and on which WICB has embarked. It will not be easy. As John F. Kennedy stated, going to the moon was not easy, it was hard but necessary for our advancement with confidence and greater knowledge.

The WICB in the midst of these challenges is doing what is best for West Indies cricket, and we urge your continued critical support and patience at this time as we put these plans and policies in place.

Answers

2009-08-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Stephon: You did not win the MJ dance because you were recycling moves. Also MJ break danced and you were pulling out skant moves from 1996. Thank God the other guy in the competition had no moves what so ever.

Adri: You need to sort yourself out with this question. Try and figure out the easy things such as How I can be a better person?, Am I a good brother, son, cousin, friend etc? and simple questions and maybe in the process you might find your answer to wondering what life means.

Andre: Besides you making a mockery of the Q & A....toes..10...final answer Regis!

Question and Answer

2009-08-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to be more interactive with everybody I will be taking questions concerning anything from Journalism, Sports or anything which I can give the answer.

Just post your question and I will answer it truthfully in my best capacity.

Top cricketers I have played with

2009-08-03T20:55:00.001-07:00

Richard Kelly in his prime

Richard Kelly: Though his cricket has declined considerably in recent time I can safely say Kelly has been one of the best allrounders in the Caribbean and was unfortunate not to play for the West Indies. Injuries have played a major role in him not fulfilling his potential but in his prime Kelly is a impact player who can sway a mactch with a pacey bowling spell or a swing of his bat. He captained me at every level of Zonal cricket and his leadership qualities are immaculate combined with his presence. I was fortunate that he transfered to Hillview College and was able to be see him dismantle several teams. His knock of 181 against Toco and a lighting fast spell against Barataria Senior Comprehensive where he took eight wickets were two performances that stand out.

Christopher Batchu: The world would have never heard of Denesh Ramdin if Batchu was not sent home from the West Indies Under-15 Championships for breaking curfew. Batchu was one of the best wicketkeeper/batsmen I have ever seen. His glove work was better than Ramdin's as well as his batting. He could make every stroke look easy and several times reminded me of Carl Hooper in the way he was able to stroke the ball effortlessly for a boundary. There was no flaws in his technique as he could bat spin and pace with ease.

Typical William Perkins

William Perkins: Opening the batting at Hillview College you could see something special in him. He possessed no fear and was always looking for a way to dismantle and demoralise the bowler. His main downfall is his mental aptitude and immature behaviour. At times players were able to eaily get under his nerves and thrown him off his game by inciting his emotions. But when he has his mind set, look out for serious trouble. I saw this first hand against Barataria Senior Comprehensive and Tranquility Secondary where Perkins went to another level and made the boundaries look very small.

Aniel Rajah: Despite Rajah not scoring runs and being with a weak team you could see the class. At 50, Rajah was hussling singles and playing shots I was yet to develop. What stunned me the most was his ability to read the game and get under the opposition with his sledging. He even sledged an umpire which resulted in the umpire saying he was going home. His presence is intimidating at times but such outstanding players command this aura.

Lendl Simmons cuts for the West Indies

Lendl Simmons: I played with the West Indies batsman at youth as well "Seniors" level. At youth level he was just a batsman but his love for the game saw him cultivate the ability to wicketkeep and bowl. The shots I have seen him play at time have left me in awe. While opening with him at the "Seniors" level i saw him slog sweep Rishi Bachan who was bowling flat on a turning wicket for six. Amazing stuff from a guy who told the coach that he did not want to bat because he was "feeling it".

Rayad Emrit: From my years of playing with Rayad you realise how hard he works. He may not be the quickest bowler or the best batsman but he works hard and is very resolute. Also he is a good leader and is always quick to give advice and suggest ways to improve your play.

Ameer Ali: Most people might be shocked this person on my list but the most consistent medium pace bowling I have ever gotten while captaining a team was from this guy. Not a speedster but there was lots of swing combined with a good line and length. Playing an under-16 match against Braford, Ameer claimed three wickets in his first three overs setting up an easy victory for our team. You could give him the ball and would get a consistent line and length under any circumstances. Really good player, shame he did not stick with it much longer.

India poised to topple Proteas

2009-08-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

India has moved up to second place on the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table following the annual update.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team has jumped ahead of Australia and is now just one ratings point behind number-one-ranked South Africa after the adjustment.

The annual update is carried out to ensure the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table continues to reflect recent form with older results being discarded.

The table reflects all ODIs between the teams represented on the table that took place since 1 August two years ago. All matches played until the start of next August will be added to this table, so by then the ratings will be based on three years of results and, over those three years, matches played in the most recent year will carry most weight.

Next August the first year of results will be dropped and this pattern is repeated each August, with the oldest of the three years of results removed to be gradually replaced with results of matches played over the following 12 months.

Thus, once a year, the rankings change overnight without any new ODIs necessarily being played. India’s rise in this year’s update reflects its outstanding record during the past 12 months and also the dropping of a much poorer set of results in the year ending July 2007.

With neither India nor the Proteas scheduled to play any ODIs prior to the ICC Champions Trophy, which takes place from 22 September to 5 October in South Africa, the battle for supremacy atop the table will add extra spice to that elite eight-team event. That battle could end up being a three-horse race if Australia or England is dominant when those teams go head to head in a seven-match ODI series in September.

England has fared well as a result of the update as it rises two places from sixth to fourth spot in the latest team rankings. As a consequence, New Zealand falls from fourth to fifth position with Pakistan dropping to sixth spot after losing the first two of the ongoing ODI series in Sri Lanka.

Indeed, if Younus Khan’s team loses the next ODI in Dambulla on Monday, it will fall below Sri Lanka into seventh spot albeit with an immediate chance to retake sixth place in the fourth and fifth ODIs of the series.

Meanwhile, Kumar Sangakkara has returned to the top 10 of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen after helping his side to victory in the first and second ODIs of the current series against Pakistan.

The news is not so good for Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan who slips two places to 15^th position while his team-mate Shoaib Malik and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya also lose ground to joint-19^th spot.

Their loss is India’s and New Zealand’s gain, however, as Gautam Gambhir and Ross Taylor both move up to joint-17^th position in the latest rankings.

The batting list is still headed by the Indian duo of Dhoni in first place and Yuvraj Singh in second position. Australia’s Michael Hussey is currently third.

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan continues his rise up the rankings and has gained two more places to third in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. Shakib has benefited from the fact that Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralidaran has slipped two spots in the latest rankings and now sits in fifth position.

The other main mover in the top 20 of the bowling list is Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, who drops three places to 12^th position after the first matches of the ongoing series in Sri Lanka.

Afridi’s woes also extend to the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders as the 29-year-old slips one place to fourth with Shakib still the man in possession of number-one position.

New Zealand’s Jacob Oram benefits from Afridi’s slip, moving up two places to third position. Afridi’s team-mate Shoaib Malik has dropped out of the top five, slipping four places to seventh spot in the all-rounders’ list. Australia’s James Hopes moves into fifth position as a consequence.

TTCB make false promises

2009-08-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

I have noted with surprise a release issued by the TTCB which appeared in today’s (Trinidad Guardian) newspaper relating to purported retainer contracts and our meeting yesterday at my office. There are a number of inaccuracies and misleading statements in the release which clearly give the impression to an unsuspecting public that both the Trinidad and Tobago players and WIPA have been dilatory in the non-signing of the contracts by the players.

The TTCB states that it offered retainer contracts to 33 players in December last year. WIPA has been told by the captain of the senior cricket team, Mr. Daren Ganga, that what he had received from the Board in December 2008 was simply a letter of intent. He pointed out that it was only he from among the players who had received this document from the TTCB. The captain added that he had advised the Board upon receipt of the letter of intent that matters relating to players’ terms and conditions must be discussed and negotiated with the players’ representatives, WIPA (West Indies Players’ Association) and that he had immediately referred them to WIPA.

Furthermore, it was only during the first week of July this year (2009) that the TTCB sent directly to thirty (33) players draft contracts (not a letter of intent as Ganga had received in December). It is also important to note that this squad of 33 players was only selected during the first week of July 2009 for which Mr. Ganga was a member of the selection panel.

Upon receiving the documents the players forwarded a copy to WIPA and a meeting was held with the players on July 15, 2009. After lengthy discussions, a number of issues were raised on the draft contract which I was mandated by the players to discuss them with the TTCB on their behalf. Immediately after the meeting with the players, WIPA initiated contact with the TTCB’s CEO Mr. Forbes Persaud on July 16, 2009 concerning the contracts and the players’ participation in the Champions League.

At our meeting yesterday afternoon (July 28^th, 2009) Mr. Persaud requested that we meet with the TTCB’s lawyers to discuss and finalize the matter, since both you and Mr. Ramkissoon who also attended the meeting on behalf of the TTCB indicated that you were not familiar with contracts. Some of the concerns are related to the terms of the contract with regard to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between WIPA and the WICB where there are provisions for a Territorial Contract. In addition, there are a number of important schedules that are missing in the two-page draft contract sent by the TTCB to the players. There is also no consideration for the terms and conditions as outlined in the proposed contract.

Furthermore, no mention was made by you or Mr. Ramkissoon at yesterday’s meeting of a July 15 deadline or any deadline for the signing of the proposed contract

The Spectacular Mr Lara

2009-07-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

Brian Lara

By Kumar Sangakkara

You cannot discuss West Indies batting in the modern era without bringing up the names of Sir Vivian Richards and Brian Lara. I grew up watching Richards murder bowling attacks, chewing his ever-present gum with a swagger and arrogance all his own.

West Indian cricket has been a journey of thrills, fun, amazing peaks and disappointing troughs. For a team shackled with the burden of a heroic past, impeded in its development by wrangling within its cricket board, Brian Charles Lara has stood out and stood tall as one of the greatest batsmen the world has seen.

To an observer who is not West Indian, the Caribbean attitude is a strange one. Where most of us show immense emotion when confronted with challenges, many West Indian players hardly seem to change expression - whether they have won or lost, scored a duck or a hundred. This relaxed, laidback attitude, which has unfairly drawn huge criticism for being unsuitable to the pursuit of relentless success as styled by the Australians, has, however, succeeded in producing some of the most versatile and complete cricketers to have ever played the game. And that is exactly what Brian is: versatile and complete.

Like all great batsmen he has scored runs in every corner of the cricketing world against all the best attacks. What sets Brian apart from the other greats is the manner and attitude in which he wields the willow. There is panache; there is flamboyance, unpredictability, periods of consistent brilliance, and inexplicable runs of bad form. Never one to have been praised as a true team man, he single-handedly shouldered the burden of carrying West Indies' batting through a decade.

I have been unfortunate enough as a Sri Lanka cricketer to have witnessed him at his best at close quarters. The West Indian tour to Sri Lanka in November 2001 was The Brian Lara Show. In just six innings he scored 688 runs at 114.66, with three hundreds and a fifty. He did so at a time when Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas were at their lethal best on Sri Lankan pitches that had bite, bounce, turn and reverse swing. Yet West Indies still lost 0-3.

Brian's technique and style are not orthodox. Though he starts with a beautifully balanced stance, he progresses into a flamboyant and outrageously high back-lift that would be a coaching book no-no. His initial movement seems to be a spilt step-jump that flings his body into the position required to play his shots. Although unorthodox, these two movements, coupled with a fantastic eye and even better hands, allow him to generate incredible bat speed and power at the moment of impact. His sometimes extravagant follow-through is the result of this bat speed. Many are the times when, though his feet are nowhere near the required position they should be in to play a shot, the correctness of his balance and head position frees his hands and allows them to catch up with the ball at the exact right moment.

He is also the most destructive player of spin I have seen. To my mind he is the only batsman to have effectively tamed the threat of Murali and dominated him and Shane Warne. Brian has all the cliché attributes of a great player of spin: a good eye, quick feet, the ability to read from the hand, and an attacking attitude, combined with the most solid of forward defences. But to my mind what truly sets him apart and makes him such a fine player of spin, better than the rest, is that he is not content to react to the bowler. He keeps challenging himself in the middle of an innings to exploit the one area of the field the bowler wants him to exploit. I have seen Murali turn the ball square across him, with no midwicket, enticing him to play against the turn, and I have seen Brian keep driving, flicking and sweeping into that one vacant spot. Doing it once or twice is comprehensible, but to watch him do it for an entire session, it made you raise your eyebrows in amazement and wonder.

His nemesis in international cricket for a long time was Glenn McGrath, whose success against Brian was based on his ability to exploit the angle of bowling around the wicket. When Glenn came around the wicket to Brian it was almost a given that he would edge to slip. This was a matter of hot debate in our dressing room: many are the times we have tried to replicate the strategy, many are the times I have watched other teams attempt to do so, both with no great continued success.

So the question remains: was it really the one technical chink in Brian's armour or was it McGrath's special ability? Murali, wanting an answer, in his own direct and engagingly blunt fashion asked Brian himself when we were having dinner together at Mahaweli Reach in Kandy once. "Brian," Murali said, "why are you getting out all the time to McGrath?" Brian's answer was: "Murali, I have to get out somehow, and if I get out to McGrath, so what, it does not bother me." He simply did not believe there was a problem.

This was a personality trait that helped make Brian so successful. The situation of a match did not seem to bother him - the pressure, the expectations, his form; it just didn¹t seem to prey on his mind. Brian played as if for the moment. Each ball a fresh start, each stroke unhindered by the immediate past. He always believed that his ability would triumph. It is a degree of self-awareness and self-confidence that is extremely hard to achieve.

Maybe it was this, too, that undermined his effectiveness as a leader and allowed the perception to develop that he was not always a total team man. I cannot be sure this was the case, not having shared a dressing room with him. I question whether being so much better than the rest made it hard for him to relate properly to the lesser players in the team. Although he was certainly an astute and intelligent captain, he struggled to get full team cooperation and respect. It is hard to drag a team along that does not fully believe in you.

One question mark I have in my mind about Brian is: why the bad periods? He was brilliant, but he could also be inconsistent. On song, unstoppable; but there were times when he struggled badly. Technically he didn't change all that much through his career. It could just be that he couldn't synchronise his back-lift and exaggerated trigger movement. He needed rhythm as a batsman.

If you assess his achievements, he undisputedly ranks at the very top - 501 in first-class cricket for Warwickshire, 375 and then 400 not out in Test cricket; the highest run-scorer in world cricket for years until Tendulkar pipped him recently. That he achieved most of these feats when the opposition was swarming all over his team is remarkable.

However, perhaps the true value of Brian was his entertainment power. Whatever he did on the field he did with style and grace. He was not just a cricketer, he was a performer. There have been many great players, but few with the same ability to thrill a crowd. With Brian batting, the record books were constantly threatened. Every game had the potential to produce something amazing. When he was batting well, there was no greater sight in world cricket.

USA to form Twenty20 League

2009-07-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

The USA Cricket Association has issued a Request for Proposals for the formation of Twenty20 format USA Premier League and the wider commercial development of cricket in the country.

USACA is the International Cricket Council’s sanctioned governing body for cricket in the USA and had received many unsolicited approaches over the launch of a professional T20 league and other commercial opportunities

The decision to issue a Request for Proposals was taken in order to formalise the process and create a level playing field for all those who wish to contribute to the process of developing professional cricket in the USA. The closing day for receipt of proposals is Friday 7th August.

Nigel Rushman, Chairman of Rushmans, has been appointed commercial advisor to USACA.

The move is evidence of USACA’s determination to introduce sustainable top class international cricket to the USA and unlock the commercial potential of a massive market. Revenues from a USA Premier League will help finance a range of other USACA initiatives aimed at promoting interest and participation in the sport, laying the foundations on which to build competitive US national teams.

The existing passion for cricket in the United States currently lies largely in ex-patriot communities from the Caribbean, Sub-Continent and other traditional cricket playing nations and regions.

Their hunger for cricket and willingness to watch cricket on Pay-Per-View television has made the USA the second highest pay television earner in the world, behind India.

The USA is also the world’s second biggest Internet cricket market. The ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 attracted 1.15 billion hits within the USA, only fractionally behind India.

The International Cricket Council has strategic plans to develop the game in potential growth markets and the USA, with its established broadcast and Internet appetite for the game, allied to a strong player base, fits the bill in many respects.

Among the services sought by USACA in its Request for Proposals are:

1. Identifying potential partnerships and securing corporate sponsorships;
2. Developing and managing major cricket events as part of USACA’s ‘Destination USA’;
3. Strategically planning and implementing a Twenty20 Professional League;
4. Negotiating TV / Radio broadcast rights for USA cricket events;
5. Developing and managing the public relations and media management of USACA;
6. Developing and managing a profitable website and social networking platform;
7. Creating merchandising deals with an online store to attract 15 million cricket fans known to live in the USA.
8. Creating and managing VIP/ Sponsor hospitality and travel programmes for ICC and USA Cricket events.
9. Developing and implementing other revenue generating programs for USACA.

Commercial advisor Nigel Rushman said: “The commercial potential of cricket in the United States is widely recognised and that was underscored by the number of approaches USACA has received from many significant and prestigious organisations ranging from broadcasters to promoters and sports marketing companies.

“This process will enable us to consider all the proposals on the table and select the ideas and form the partnerships which are most beneficial to USACA, to the development of cricket in the USA and to the partners themselves.

“Cricket is a truly global sport which has been liberated by developments in the media. The success of the IPL in South Africa is evidence of that.

“We are confident that, with the right partners, the USA can host a world class Premier League which will fill grounds and attract massive television and online audiences. That is good news for the future of the sport in the USA and the growth of cricket worldwide.”

WIPA turn to CARICOM

2009-07-15T22:36:00.001-07:00

WIPA SEEKS RESOLUTION THROUGH CARICOM

On Monday July13, 2009 the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) wrote to the Chairman of the Caricom Heads of Government, His Excellency Mr. Bharat Jagdeo, seeking his intervention in the current dispute between the WICB and WIPA in an another attempt to get resolution of the outstanding matters.
In the past CARICOM has played a major role on several occasions in similar situations when Dr. Keith Mitchell, the former Prime Minister of Grenada was very instrumental in resolving some of the issues. In WIPA’s letter it was pointed out that WIPA feels confident that the Heads of Government through its Chairman will find a mechanism to resolve these matters.

The letter further stated “We at WIPA are fully conscious of the importance of cricket to the economy and unity of the region, and the psyche of its peoples—matters in which you and other Heads of Governments are continuously and intrinsically involved. Our players are deeply mindful of this responsibility they shoulder on behalf of this important group of stakeholders. It is, therefore, in this context that we at WIPA wish to have a speedy resolution to these issues”.

President Jagdeo has communicated with both the WICB and WIPA and a meeting date has been suggested.

Latest World Rankings

2009-07-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

Simon Katich on-drives against England in the first Ashes Test

Australia’s batsmen are on the move in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen with three stroke-makers achieving career-best rankings after a nail-biting finish in the first Ashes Test against England at Cardiff.

Opener Simon Katich, middle-order batsmen Marcus North and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin all scored centuries to help Australia declare its first innings at 674-6 in reply to England’s first innings score of 435. And for these efforts, all the three batsmen have been rewarded with big jumps in the rankings which are updated after every Test.

Katich, who scored 122, has gone up by four places and now sits in 14th position alongside India great Sachin Tendulkar. Marcus North, who struck an unbeaten125, has rocketed 23 places to 43rd position while Haddin, who scored 121, has climbed six places to 30th spot.

Besides the trio, captain Ricky Ponting has also inched towards the top five after scoring an elegant 150 and is now in sixth place after swapping positions with Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardena, vice-captain Michael Clarke has replaced South Africa captain Graeme Smith in eighth place and opener Phillip Hughes has lifted himself two places to 33rd position.

Australia’s only disappointment is the fall of Mike Hussey whose first innings contribution of three has resulted in him dropping of the top 20 for the first time since his rapid rise up the table at the start of his international career.

England’s only batsman to make an upward movement is Paul Collingwood who has returned to the top 20 by climbing five places to 19th position after scoring two half-centuries in the match, including a gritty 74 in the second innings that spanned almost six hours of batting.

Three of the top four England batsmen – Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara – have dropped in the latest rankings while Kevin Pietersen has managed to hang on to his 10th place.

England captain Strauss, who scored 30 and 17, has dropped out of the top 20 after falling three places to 22nd place, Cook has slipped three places to 24th position after a match contribution of 26 runs and Bopara has dropped eight places to 59th position after scores of 35 and one.

Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan lead a Pakistan 1-2 in the batting table with India’s Gautam Gambhir in third place.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, the only change in the top 20 is England fast bowler Andrew Flintoff who has slipped two places to 19th position.

Flintoff is one of four England bowlers who have fallen in the latest rankings while fast bowler James Anderson has retained his seventh position.

Spinners Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann have dropped one and three places to 22nd and 25th positions respectively and Stuart Broad has fallen three places to 40th position.

For Australia, Brett Lee has dropped one place after missing the first Test due to injury and fast bowler Peter Siddle has slipped one place to 32nd position. But off-spinner Nathan Hauritz has leaped 13 places to 49th position after match figures of 60.5-13-158-6 and fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus has jumped 19 places to 52nd spot after match figures of 42-8-120-5.

The bowling list is headed by Sri Lanka’s iconic spinner Muttiah Muralidaran who is likely to concede his number-one spot to South Africa’s Dale Steyn when the latest rankings are released at the end of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. A player loses one per cent of his ratings for every match he misses and as the position stands at present, Muralidaran, who is not playing in the Colombo Test, leads Steyn by just two points.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders, Flintoff has dropped one place to fifth after figures of 1-128 with the ball and contributions of 37 and 26 with the bat.

Jacques Kallis continues to lead the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with Mitchell Johnson of Australia in second and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori third.

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Player Rankings (as of 13 July, after the end of first Ashes Test at Cardiff)

Batsmen

Rank +/- Player Team Points
1 ( - ) Mohammad Yousuf Pak 861
2 ( - ) Younus Khan Pak 850
3 ( - ) Gautam Gambhir Ind 847
4 ( - ) S.Chanderpaul WI 838
5 ( - ) Kumar Sangakkara SL 818
6 (+1) Ricky Ponting Aus 816
7 (-1) Mahela Jayawardena SL 789
8 (+1) Michael Clarke Aus 785
9 (-1) Graeme Smith SA 782
10 ( - ) Kevin Pietersen Eng 757
11 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 755
12 ( - ) Ashwell Prince SA 742
13 ( - ) AB de Villiers SA 740!
14= ( - ) Sachin Tendulkar Ind 720
(+4) Simon Katich Aus 720!
16 (-1) Ramnaresh Sarwan WI 718
17 (-1) VVS Laxman Ind 703
18 (+2) Virender Sehwag Ind 685
19 (+5) Paul Collingwood Eng 679
20 (+2) Thilan Samaraweera SL 677

Bowlers

Rank +/- Player Team Points
1 ( - ) M. Muralidaran SL 846
2 ( - ) Dale Steyn SA 844
3 ( - ) Mitchell Johnson Aus 825*!
4 ( - ) Stuart Clark Aus 752*
5 ( - ) Makhaya Ntini SA 741
6 ( - ) Harbhajan Singh Ind 735
7 ( - ) James Anderson Eng 671
8 ( - ) Paul Harris SA 669*!
9 ( - ) Chaminda Vaas SL 658
10 (+1) Zaheer Khan Ind 650
11 (-1) Brett Lee Aus 647
12 ( - ) Ryan Sidebottom Eng 635*
13 ( - ) Jerome Taylor WI 626*
14 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 620
15 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 603
16 ( - ) Chris Martin NZ 600
17 (+1) Umar Gul Pak 593*
18 (+1) Danish Kaneria Pak 588
19 (-2) Andrew Flintoff Eng 585
20 ( - ) Ishant Sharma Ind 580*

All-rounders

Rank +/- Player Team Points
1 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 455
2 ( - ) Mitchell Johnson Aus 384*/*!
3 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 350
4 (+1) Chaminda Vaas SL 268
5 (-1) Andrew Flintoff Eng 266

*indicates provisional rating; a batsman qualifies for a full rating after playing 40 Test innings; a bowler qualifies for a full rating when he reaches 100 Test wickets.
!indicates career-highest rating

WIPA Apology

2009-07-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

WE APOLOGISE!

The West Indies Players Association in its response to the WICB’s demand for an apology has issued the following on behalf of its members.

On behalf of all our members, we wish to apologize to the West Indies Cricket Board for our “unreasonable” behaviour in respect of the following:

For demanding that our members play with a contract clearly outlining the terms and conditions prior to a series or series of matches
For insisting that all contracts be negotiated by WIPA prior to their being offered to the players, as is provided by the agreements between WIPA and the WICB
For asking the WICB to honour the agreement and pay the medical treatment when players sustain injuries while representing the West Indies
For asking that the WICB honour the 2007-2008 agreement that was signed by the Players and compensate the players who have been injured while playing for the West Indies as outlined in the agreement
For asking the WICB to deposit funds it had deducted from the players’ salaries and which it failed to pay to the Players Provident Fund Account (Pension Plan) for almost a year
For asking the WICB to reimburse players who sometimes have to purchase their own airline tickets while on duty for the West Indies
For not having training camps and specialist camps for the preparation of the team so that the players may improve their performances
For accepting to play in a series against England at a time of year when no other team has ever played in the history of over 100 years of international cricket
For asking that the WICB not sell players’ intellectual property and image rights without permission
For tolerating all of the above for far too long out of a desire to wear maroon and for listening to the executive of our association when told that negotiations were in progress and would bear fruit shortly
For believing that our constitutional right to freedom of association was sacred and would be honoured and respected

The Players would be willing to apologize if the Players had:

Lost Five (5) million US Dollars in the sanctioning of a one-off international 20/20 match as a result of selling rights to a party that already been sold.
Lost three (3) million US Dollars as a result of breach of agreement.
Spent one (1) million US Dollars in the courts in London unsuccessfully defending a legal action.
Made an out of court settlement with a broadcaster for breach of contract.
Had to defend several other claims for breach of contract including one where the estimated loss of revenue is $500,000.00 US Dollars per year.
Lost almost US $10 million dollars in almost one year for breach of agreements with third parties.
Were responsible for the debacle in Antigua in which the match was called off because of the poor condition of the ground and for failure to fulfill the expectation that some inquiry or explanation would be forthcoming.

A perusal of the above should indicate from where the apology should come.

Franchise cricket the way forward

2009-07-14T22:26:00.001-07:00

Franchise cricket would eliminate regional champs like Devon Smith

It does not take a genuis to identify that the standard of cricket in the West Indies has drastically declined over the years. Players are now entering international cricket and are struggling to cope with the rigours of Test and One Day International matches. If the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) are ever able to settle its grouse with each other I propose that the current first class competition be restructred to incorporate positive change.

The Stanford 20/20 competition made several revelations about cricket in the West Indies. Firstly, having different islands compete enabled a greater cadre of players being exposed to quality cricket. Secondly, and more importantly when the financial payments from the Stanford Group was distributed to the various cricket boards it disturbingly showed that corruption was a prevalent scurge inhabiting various associations. Taking these two important factors into consideration as well as other inefficincies of the current competition, a good option in redeveloping West Indies cricket is by introducing a franchise system of play.

By introducing franchise teams this would allow foreign players to compete for various teams in the West Indian league. With the axis of quality cricket being played by Australian, Indian and South African players it would benefit Caribbean cricketers to learn from the best players in the world. Therefore by having two or three foreign players in a team along with top West Indian players, experienced regional players, youth cricketers would only benefit from the wealth of knowledge at their disposal. In the current globalised world it is primitive of West Indies cricket to restrict top international players from outside the Caribbean from playing first class cricket in the West Indies. Our current situation is very backward and if our cricket is not at its best we need players from outside to boost the standard.

By having franchise cricket it would allow various islands to have more than one team competing in the first class competition allowing more talented players to play at the top level. The first class system deprives some of the best players from representing the West Indies since each player must represent the island of their birth or residence and gives an inaccurate view of the top players in the Caribbean. A classic example of this is the wicketkeeping position in Trinidad and Tobago. West Indies vice-captain Denesh Ramdin is the first choice wicketkeeper for TT with Gibran Mohammed the second choice. However, Mohammed is one of the top wicketkeepers in the West Indies and would be a first choice in any other Caribbean team and with an extended run at the premier level, obviously he would develop and challenge Ramdin on a much stronger basis.

Franchises would be responsible for its own finanances therefore eliminating the levels of corruption seen by regional cricket boards. The franchise would be responsible for youth development, team maintenance, seeking sponsors and all the normal functions of a cricket board. But a greater concentration on the franchise would result in greater efficiency and an ability to change rapidly with proactive developments. Regional cricket boards are slow to accept change and implement change and franchises would be quicker to do so since their success will only result in better sponsorship deals and attracting top players. Also insularity and favouritism would be reduced since the concept of island versus island rivalry will be diminished and replaced with team against team.

The combination of top international and regional players will only serve in attracting crowds to watch first class matches. People are always drawn to good cricket and regional cricketing authorities must identify that West Indian players are not as elusive as they once were. Bigger crowds, good cricket will result in better sponsorship and television coverage. These factors would only aid in the recovery of West Indian cricket. With rules on structure, quality of pitches and youth development a more competitive and accessible system would only provide benefits.

Introducing such a system would be costly and it would need a united WICB and WIPA to be a success. Any squandering of money by both parties battling each other would only hurt this system and would retard the implementation of a franchise system. But having a franchise would only bring more life to a very archaic and bland first class tournament in the West Indies which is lacking the modern touch the rest of the world already possess.

My favourite people to interview

2009-07-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Ramnaresh Sarwan cuts while playing for the West Indies

The importance of a good interview in journalism is one of the key aspects of being able to produce a quality story. Insight and opinion adds to the mix which gives the reader an avenue into the mind of a person as well as something to identify with.

Being able to get an interview can be challenging given the hectic times we live in with various time constraints and deadlines. The only thing worse than not being able to get your interview for your story is getting an interview which made you regret speaking to the person. This happens more often with today's sportsmen!

To recognize those who make my job easier and always keep me on my toes, I will name my top five personalities to interview.

Ramnaresh Sarwan: The prolific West Indies batsman is one of the most humble people I have ever come across. Sarwan will answer every question and will even wait on you if you are not ready for the interview. Most athletes would be moody and walk off but Sarwan shows respect and is always a pleasure to speak with. He also acknowledges the fact that his Guyanese accent is a bit hard to understand and will speak slower or repeat things to ensure that everybody understands what he is saying. When the West Indies were playing Sri Lanka at the Queen's Park Oval, Sarwan would be the first West Indian player willing to do interviews after a gruelling session. His attitude and upbringing is quite unique in a world full of egos.

Bruce Aanensen: The current Queen's Park president and former West Indies Chief Executive Officer is one of the most outspoken people I have ever come across. Aanensen is very knowledgeable and is not afraid to tell you the truth. He does not mix matters and will call it as it is. He was the first person to voice publicly what everyone in the Caribbean was thinking...that the West Indies players did not deserve a pay increase due to their poor performances. Also he is a very successful administrator and does not endorse issues that will compromise his morals.

Brian Lara: Love him or hate him Brian Lara knows how to work the media. At times he could be very difficult with his moody behaviour, but nothing beats speaking to an intelligent cricketer and a master of the game. Lara's knowledge on cricket is beyond this world and he will highlight things that most people would not conceive. Any story from Lara is a potential lead story in any newspaper. When he is in a good mood Lara will be at the top of any journalist interview list.

Adrian Barath: The easiest interviews that I have ever conducted is with classy Mr Barath. He has improved vastly on the way he expresses his thoughts and it is quite easy to put from pen to paper. The West Indies batsman makes you feel comfortable when speaking to him, not rushing his answers and never hides from a question. He is a straight talker and is always willing to share information or his thoughts on issues. Most people would assume that with the success he has reaped as such a young age he would have a bit of an ego, but Barath is quite simple and easy to work with.

Dinanath Ramnarine: When I started reporting on cricket, to get an interview from Dinanath Ramnarine was a difficult task. He was always not willing to comment. But Ramnarine is as outspoken as it comes....ask the WICB. The former West Indies leg-spinner is never afraid to share thoughts on WIPA or cricket. He is a journalist dream! controversial, slick and full of information.

WIPA Fact Release

2009-07-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

WIPA RELEASES THE FACTS

RETAINER CONTRACTS –
At a meeting held on March 24th and 25th, WICB and WIPA made proposals with regard to fees for Retainer Contracts.

In advance of the meeting scheduled for Thursday 2nd April, 2009 the WICB proposed that the most pressing issue to be dealt with was that of the retainer fees and fees for first class players. It was further suggested by the WICB that this item form the basis for the agenda.

On April 2nd 2009, the WICB and WIPA reached agreement on fees for both Retainer Contract and First Class fees for all players. This was subsequently announced by the WICB and WIPA.

April 6th 2009, WIPA requested a draft copy of the Retainer Contract

On April 7th 2009 WIPA received a draft copy of Retainer Contract and advised that its lawyers will review and get back to the WICB. WIPA was subsequently asked by the WICB to provide documentation with regards to the players Intellectual Property Rights and Image Rights which WIPA did.

On April 16th 2009, WIPA submitted to the WICB what was agreed by the parties on April 2nd 2009 which included the Retainer Fees among other things.

April 18th 2009, the WICB lead negotiator, Mr. Cameron acknowledged receipt and advised that Ms. Alanna Medford was on leave and would respond on her return.

April 23rd 2009, WICB responded confirming agreement including the fees relating to the Retainer Contracts.

May 7th 2009, Retainer Contracts and Player Rankings were discussed. WICB stated ACCORDING TO THE WICB NOTES TO WIPA “that it would be willing to discuss the retainer contract after it had received the marked up version from WIPA”.

May 7th 2009, the WIPA submitted to WICB (Ms. Alanna Medford) a “marked up version” of the Retainer Contract.
NO RESPONSE FROM THE WICB

June 9th 2009, WIPA wrote to the WICB (Ms. Alanna Medford) informing her that it had been more than a month and WIPA had not heard from WICB with regard to the changes proposed to the Retainer Contract. WIPA in this letter also informed WICB that the players were keen to sign the Retainer Contracts.

NO RESPONSE FROM THE WICB

June 17th 2009, in an email from Barry Thomas CFO WICB to Chris Gayle which was copied to WIPA, it stated “I would like to address the issue of retainers and wish to point out that the time for signing retainers has passed. Our major sponsor has withheld three (3) quarterly sponsorship payments for October 2008, January 2009 and April 2009 respectively totaling USD 3,000,000 as a consequence of the delay in signing retainer contracts. We have been penalized for not delivering central contracts in the required timeframe. These contracts are required to be signed so that they take effect from October 1st of each contract year”.

This was the first time this was brought to WIPA’s attention.

During this time, we continuously reminded the WICB of the delay in sending us the Retainer Contract until we were forced to write the President WICB who was part of the meeting when the Retainer Contract fees were discussed and agreed.

June 26th 2009, WIPA wrote the WICB President referring to the email sent to Chris Gayle and copied to WIPA and asked for an explanation since this is contrary to what has been agreed by the parties.

NO RESPONSE FROM THE WICB.

These are the facts and WIPA has all the necessary documentation to support them.

INJURY PAYMENTS –

At a meeting held on March 24th and 25th 2009, it was agreed that WIPA would initiate the claims to the WICB on behalf of the players. WICB proposed a form by which the information should be submitted and agreed to work as quickly as possible to address all claims, once submitted.

April 2nd 2009, the WICB agreed to send medical information on injured players to WIPA and WIPA would prepare the claim for injury payments to the relevant players.

Despite WIPA’s many request for the information, WIPA IS YET TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION.

ICC World T20 England 2009

The WICB made a proposal to pay players 25% of the revenue it received from ICC. The WICB will receive 2.25 million USD.

WIPA indicated that it would accept the sum of 25% in addition to match fees.

The WICB counter proposal of 20% plus match fees. This was rejected by WIPA.

We note with deep consternation that the WICB release of July 8th includes in its counter offer a Provident Fund contribution. This element was never mentioned in any of our discussions.

We wish to advise that in the Arbitration of the World Cup issue in 2007, the Arbitrators ruled that the WICB pay fees in three categories namely, participation fee, sponsorship fee and match fees.

You would note that WIPA has not made any demands for sponsorship since there were no sponsors for this tournament.

ENGLAND 2009 AWAY TOUR-
As required under Article VI of the Memorandum of Articles signed between the WICB and WIPA both parties are required to agree to any additional matches during the calendar year. This series was additional and required WIPA’s agreement firstly and then settlement of terms and conditions for players participation.

The WICB informed WIPA that the Bangladesh series in the Caribbean was no longer going to take place at the time originally in April/May 2009. The players were duly informed and accepted to play in the IPL 20/20 in India.

The WICB and ECB subsequently agreed to participate in a series immediately following the England series of the Caribbean after Sri Lanka withdrew from the England tour to allow their players to participation in the IPL tournament.

We at WIPA found that the WICB had not complied with the provisions of the agreement between the WICB and WIPA when they decided to accept the invitation to tour England. We were further informed that the tour to England was also a commitment that the WICB had to honour under the terms of the Stanford Agreement for a series of 20/20 matches against England and the Stanford Superstars (West Indies Team).

WIPA’s consideration was twofold in that (a) we wanted to make sure that players who have IPL contracts fulfil their commitments and (b) more players would have been given an opportunity to tour England during that time.

During our many discussions the WICB on April 2nd 2009 made a proposal to WIPA with regards to compensation for the IPL players as well as the other players who would be touring England.

On April 8th 2009 the WICB submitted another proposal to WIPA withdrawing the proposal sent on April 2nd 2009.

On May 7th 2009, at a meeting held between the parties the WICB withdrew their April 8th offer on the England tour promising that they would make a new proposal in due course.

WIPA inquired about the new proposal which was changed several times; in fact Ms. Alanna Medford Legal Officer WICB wrote on May 3rd that they would be sending the revised proposal for the England 2009 away tour by the end of the following week.

On June 2nd 2009, WIPA received a final proposal from the WICB. It is important to note that the series had already been completed at this stage.

There were several pieces of correspondences from WIPA to the WICB inquiring information so that it can provide an informed response to the WICB proposal.

After having received its last piece of information from the WICB, on June 29th 2009 WIPA responded to the WICB‘s proposal for the England 2009 Away tour.

WIPA accepted the 1.48 million USD for the participation fee in addition to sponsorship $ 35,000.00 USD per day which is divided among all players for obligations performed for the WICB’s sponsor Digicel. It is important to note that the majority of the money would be going to the IPL players whom the WICB publicly stated they would be compensating for their loss of earnings.

Please note that as part of the agreement between WIPA and the WICB promotion of any sponsor by a West Indies team is subject to compensation and both parties agree the figure which is the current level as previously negotiated.

It is important to note that the WICB’s first position is also their final position.

INDIA HOME TOUR 2009 –

On June 22nd 2009, the WICB stated in its letter to WIPA that this tour is the second part of a bilateral tour, the first part of which was played in India in 2007 and therefore does not require any further negotiations.

June 23rd 2009, WIPA responded reminding the WICB that the January 2007 tour to India was treated outside of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) and separate negotiations were conducted.

June 23rd 2009, the WICB denied that the 2007 tour to India was treated as an additional tour outside of the FTP.

WIPA has always maintained in all our correspondence that this tour is an additional tour (outside the FTP) and requires separate negotiations. WIPA also pointed out that this matter has already been subject to an Arbitration ruling and therefore it is pointless delving into a matter that has already been determined.

I have taken out extracts from the Arbitration ruling with regard to the FTP Arbitration ruling:

“On 15 November 2006 WICB and WIPA met at the Trinidad Hilton. One of the decisions taken and recorded in a summary of conclusions was that “Mr. Ramnarine, Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Deyal will discuss a framework for Contracts and tours, specifically the Indian and England tours in 2007”.

At a meeting between the parties on 28 December 2006, the summary of conclusions states that there was agreement that the India ODI series 2007 “was outside the FTP and was a bilateral”.

On 5 January 2007 a meeting was held at the office of the President, WICB, in Port-of-Spain. The tours to India and England were discussed.

The Arbitration panel comprising of Sir David Simmons Chief Justice Barbados, Mr, Elliott Motley QC and Dr Aubrey Armstrong finally concluded and I quote “And we are also satisfied that the parties treated the tour to India 2007 as outside the FTP”.

WIPA has referred the WICB to this ruling in addition to all the correspondence between the parties including promises to WIPA to provide all the details for the 2009 India series including the financial details which we are yet to receive.

WIPA has further asked the WICB to provide any reason why the India series should not be negotiated separately for which we are yet to receive a response.

These are the facts, you decide.

The secret of New Found Glory revealed

2009-07-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is what is my deal with New Found Glory? Since high school people, mostly women, have always tried to figure out what is my association with New Found Glory. Countless times I have been asked What is New Found Glory? What does Sticks and Stones mean? Is New Found Glory your life credo? Is this a puzzle to understanding you? Why you have a New Found Glory wallpaper as your Facebook picture?

The years of constant bombardment has taken its toll and after careful thought and consideration I think it is time for answers. I don't think anybody knows the full extent what New Found Glory means to me and it is about time it is revealed. So for the first time I will break from a blog on sports and will give personal insight.

Firstly, New Found Glory is a punk rock band and are also known as A New Found Glory. I first heard their music when I was 16, back in 2000. The music sounded really nice but I did not know who the band was as I was now beginning to take interest in punk rock music after dancehall took a turn for the worst.

Also at 16, anything emotional that happens in your life gives you the impression that the world is going to end. So in 2001, two major things happened in my life which had me 'bummy' breaking up with a girl (the obvious reason) and the second much more scary event of having my first serious cricketing injury.

The previous year while playing cricket in Barbados I got a serious blow on my hand while batting and to my dismay the spinning finger on my right hand mended horribly wrong. This affected the way I held the bat and resulted in me not being able to spin the ball. As a result of training frequently to overcome these obstacles, I then succumbed to a groin injury which meant no cricket. While these problems may sound very petty and laughable those who know me and what cricket means to my parents, friends, family and myself will know the magnitude of the issue.

However, these events transformed me into a very silent, agitated person for a lengthy period of time. I am shocked that I still have friends when reflecting on this period (sorry Adri and Sean in particular). But in 2001, while going in my friend Jonathan's car to get lunch after lessons I heard "My Friends Over You" play in his car and he without hesitation lent me the cd.

The album he lent me was titled "Sticks and Stones" and I immediately identified with the lyrics. It was if God meant for me to hear those words at that time. My whole depressive gloomy attitude was replaced with something more positive. It was refreshing to hear/listen to people who identified with the same problems and feelings that was plaguing me and in the process showing you how to get on with life.

Songs like "Head on Collision", "Sonny", "My Friends Over You" and "Understatement" were able to progressively address the issue of my new single status. What astounded me was as you go along in the album it starts with these songs about pain and loss and then charts you to happy times. You were able to grow and move with the band sharing in the healing process.

The album aided in me maturing as a person and dealing with the hurtful issues life throws your way. When my grandfather died in 2004 when I was 20, I recall it being the loneliest time for me in the world. When things were seeming hopeless I once again resorted to New Found Glory and as they say the second time is a charm.

However, three times lucky came in 2006 after splitting with my girl friend of three years. This band has been here for me at my highest and lowest points. God and New Found Glory have been the constants in my life thus far. The lyrics are meaningful and have always provided some sort of direction or provided a sense of hope when a cause seems to be lost.

One day somebody will make me revisit "The Story So Far" which will puzzle and amaze at the same time. New Found Glory has a way of pulling a shocker on you and they have a song for every moment in your life....good or bad.

For the past nine year New Found Glory has been and will continue to play an important role in determining who I am. It has become a major part of me and they may not win any Grammys but the music is true and worthwhile.

WICB Statement

2009-07-07T22:59:00.001-07:00

Following is the full text of the statement released on Tuesday by the West Indies Cricket Board in response to issues with the West Indies Players Association.

ISSUES WITH THE WEST INDIES PLAYERS’ ASSOCIATION

Following the non-appearance of the West Indies cricket team at the Ticket Launch for ICC World T20 West Indies 2010 last Saturday (July 4) evening in St. Lucia, there has been much speculation about the state of relations between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA).

The WICB would like to state that it has been engaged in ongoing negotiations with WIPA on a number of matters and therefore the action taken by players on Saturday was extremely ill advised and premature given the fact that, as far as the Board is concerned, negotiations are ongoing with a view towards resolving all matters. Further, the action taken by the players in refusing to honour their obligations constitutes a clear breach of the collective bargaining agreement between WICB and WIPA.

In light of further recent developments, WICB has determined it appropriate to outline to the Caribbean public its position on some of the ongoing issues with WIPA.

1. West Indies tour to England 2009:

At a meeting held between the Board and WIPA on March 16, 2009, the players’ representatives demanded that the Board agree to a set of conditions for participating in the Tour, including that:

§ The players who had IPL contracts (5 in number at the time) be given the option to play in the England Tour or to participate in the IPL Tournament, without any sanction/action from the WICB; and

§ The players be provided with No Objection Certificates (NOCs) by the WICB in a timely manner without any restrictions in order to participate in the IPL Tournament

After much discussion the WICB proposed that:

§ The players who had IPL contracts would be given the option to play either in the IPL Tournament or to represent the West Indies in the England 2009 Tour; and that

§ The players would be provided with NOCs by the WICB in a timely manner; the NOCs to be for the period April 10 to May 01, 2009

Further, the WICB proposed that the players would receive a total amount of US$1.48 million out of the US$2 million received for the England 2009 Tour, which would be first used to “compensate” the IPL players for their early departure from that tournament and the balance of the money being distributed among the other players.

WIPA maintained its demand that the IPL players be given the option to play in the IPL Tournament for the entire season and not just for the period up to May 01. Accordingly, there was no agreement reached on the issue at that time. In fact, at this, Mr. Ramnarine claimed that the WICB was not taking the meeting seriously and he brought a premature end to the discussions.

In April 2009, the WICB sent a formal payment proposal to WIPA regarding the tour of the WI team to England. Although WICB and WIPA discussed the matter, the first written response from WIPA was in June of this year, accepting the proposed US$1.48 million but demanding sponsorship fees in addition at the rate of US$35,000 per day, i.e. an additional amount of US$455,000. WICB indicated that was unacceptable as it would amount to the players receiving a total of US$1, 935,000 out of the US$2 million received for the Tour.

2. ICC World T20 England 2009:

The WICB made a proposal to pay players 25% of the revenue which it would receive from ICC for participating in this tournament. That amounts to $US750, 000.

WIPA has indicated it would accept that sum but is asking for additional match fees of US$1500 per player per match. WICB has counter-proposed 20% of its revenue from ICC and the match fees and WIPA has declined this latest offer.

WICB would like to point out that, during ICC WT20 South Africa 2007, WIPA received 25% of the WICB’s revenue from ICC and nothing more.

3. India tour to West Indies 2009:

The WICB is of the view that, for this series, each player is entitled to match fees according to the current WICB structure: US$5000 per Test match; US$2000 per ODI and US$1500 per Twenty20 in addition to US$35,000 per day in sponsorship and is ready to make these payments to the players for these matches.

WIPA has rejected this and adopted a different position – that this tour is outside the ICC Future Tours Programme and so it has the right to negotiate fees outside of and additional to the standard structure.

WICB has suggested as an interim position that the players be paid their match fees and sponsorship fees immediately based on its understanding of what amounts are due, and that the matter be referred to mediation/arbitration in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement to determine whether any additional payments are due. This suggestion has not been accepted by WIPA.

4. Retainer/player contracts 2009:

The WICB signs players on retainer from October 01 each year to September 30 of the following year. In February 2009, WICB issued contracts to a number of players; 16 of whom signed the contracts. This was done after numerous unsuccessful attempts commencing as far back as September, 2008 to engage WIPA in discussions for finalisation of these contracts. In fact, the WICB had written to WIPA again on November 11, 2008 requesting a meeting to discuss the retainer structure for the 2008/2009 period and pointing out that the WICB was losing money as a result of the failure to secure retainer contracts with the players.

It was only as recent as May 2009 that WIPA sent a draft retainer contract with various amendments to WICB, requesting that the Board then agree on the form of retainer contract to be issued and have the contracts come into effect retroactively from October 2008, so that players would be paid from October 2008.

The Board has refused, noting that it has already lost US$3 million from players refusing to sign the contracts at all or players signing late. Nonetheless, WICB has offered to pay players who are yet to sign contracts, effective from the date of signature until September 30, 2009, when new contracts would be negotiated – this has not been accepted by WIPA.

The Board would like to state that the 16 players who signed in February 2009 have been regularly receiving their retainer fees.

5. Injury payments:

The WICB has developed a form for WIPA to use for the submission of claims on behalf of players for injury payments to them. So far, the WICB has only ever received a completed injury claim form for one player – in relation to the West Indies Tour to Abu Dhabi last year, which payment has since been settled.

6. Arbitration:

Since last October, WIPA has taken WICB to arbitration over the Stanford 20/20 for 20 match which took place in November 2008. As far as WICB is aware this matter is progressing and, in fact, lawyers for both parties are due to meet on Monday.

The WICB wishes to conclude by stating that it has always made itself available to meet with WIPA and continues to do so. The Board indicated earlier this year that it intended to professionalise its negotiating strategy and accordingly appointed Mr. Derek Ali, Mr. Robert Morris, Mr. Gerard Pinard and Mr. Walter Scott to constitute the West Indies Cricket Board Negotiating Team, which has been in discussions with WIPA.

The Negotiating Team and its Chairman - the WICB Vice President, Mr. Dave Cameron are prepared to meet with WIPA in Trinidad on July 09, 2009 to once again attempt to resolve the outstanding issues.

WIPA Statement

2009-07-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

Following is the statement presented by Executive President of the West Indies Players’ Association Dinanath Ramnarine when he hosted a news conference on Tuesday at the Queen’s Park Oval:

As you all may recall, the West Indies Players Association and the West Indies Cricket Board met during the England series in the West Indies 2009 to resolve a number of outstanding issues. It was at those lengthy meetings that agreement was reached on a number of issues, some of which were outstanding since 2007.

Among the issues that were discussed and on which agreement was reached was the Retainer Contract. In fact, if you do your research, you would discover that the WICB, through its President, made the announcement and similarly WIPA informed its members of the agreement reached on the Retainer Contract, among other things.

There were other matters discussed during the meeting. While there may not have been agreement on all the issues, the parties agreed to a process in resolving them within a certain time-frame.

Unfortunately, not much has changed. The WICB has continued to employ the same tactics and is now reneging on the agreements made at that meeting. We at WIPA have made every effort since our meeting in April 2009 to have the matters agreed upon honoured and those that were still to be agreed upon, resolved in an amicable way.

The fact remains that the players have played their last four tournaments without a contract. I repeat the players have played their last four series without a contract. They are now being asked to play their fifth consecutive series without a contract which is highly unacceptable.

When a player called me last week and asked what was the position with regards to his injury while playing cricket for the West Indies in the just concluded 20/20 World Cup, my response was that was there was no written contract in place and therefore any action that would have to be taken, would have to be taken in that context.

Professional sportsmen should not be allowed to play any sport that has such a high risk without the necessary protection.

For your information some of the outstanding issues are:

1) Settlement of the Retainer Contract for which fees have already been agreed upon by the parties and comments on the contracts itself that have been with the WICB for two months now without any response.

2) Settlement of payments on the concluded tour of West Indies tour to England (2009)

3) Settlement of fees on the just concluded ICC 20/20 World Cup (2009)

4) India to West Indies series (2009)

5) Bangladesh to West Indies (2009)

6) Retainer Contracts/Player Contracts (2008/9)

7) Injury Payments for players with or without written contracts

8) Unauthorised use of Players IP and Image rights

9) Clothing Contract

a) Arbitration matter pending since 2007 which include breaches of the CBA and MOU.

It is in this regard that WIPA met with the players in St. Lucia on Saturday 4th July for almost three hours. The decision was taken that if the WICB did not meet with WIPA to resolve outstanding issues, the players would not make themselves available to participate in the upcoming series against Bangladesh. We have written to the WICB to meet on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th July, but unfortunately the WICB have not responded.

Having considered the situation carefully and dispassionately, and bearing in mind their own welfare without ignoring the concern of other stakeholders, the players have requested me as President of WIPA, the players’ body, to inform the WICB, sponsors and the public that, regretfully, they cannot with immediate effect continue playing without any contracts with the WICB.

WIPA: Protector or Mercenary?

2009-07-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

When I started my journalism career three years ago I possessed a negative view of the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) and their Chief Executive Officer and president, Dinanath Ramnarine. Before my journalism career commenced and I had to take a professional outlook on the circumstances surrounding WIPA and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), like many other fans I had a bitter taste in my mouth due to the bickering by both orgaisations.

Truthfully I cannot remember when was the last time West Indies has a smooth transition to any Series. What I can safely say is the Digicel sponsored era of West Indies cricket will be remembered for all the wrong reasons and they would be thankful to see the end of their contract with the WICB.

My first encounter with WIPA and Ramnarine as a journalist was the battle between former WICB Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Aanensen under the Ken Gordon era on a proposed West Indies 'A' tour to Zimbabwe in 2007. Both Aanensen and Ramnarine traded blows publicly in the Newsday...which I can say only helped my career before Aanensen dramatically resigned citing the poor administration of the WICB.

At this point in time WIPA I believe were very cautious around me and anything I would type in the Newsday positive or negative, not that it mattered to me. Reporting directly on the matter over the Zimbabwe tour I felt that both organisations distrusted each other and were only hurting their relationship.

The Caribbean public was of the view that WIPA striked solely for money which many felt the players did not deserve. Shambolic results against South Africa, Australia and arch rivals England gave rise to an ever growing hatred of the West Indies team. In the past three years crowds at Test matches in the Caribbean have dramatically declined hence it came as no surprise to me when Windies skipper Chris Gayle stated his preference for Twenty20 cricket over the traditional and premier form of the game.

But Ramnarine to his credit has proven me wrong with his direction for West Indies cricket. His obligation is to seek the best interest of the players and has utilised the only weapon in his arsenal, which is to strike. What other bargaining tool does Ramnarine possess besides the players? nothing! So if he is not being taken seriously then his sole option is to strike. Honestly I believe that if the WICB was a proactive organisation there will be no need for WIPA to strike and like any other company there would be solid negotiations.

Constantly you find the players striking for the same things repeatedly. Issues such as players contracts, improved first class fees and compensation for injuries are the basis for each and every strike with the WICB always promising to address the problem. Therefore when the WICB in a press release yesterday stated that they are working on the matter and WIPA needs to be patient, I felt instulted by such an excuse.

For the past three years (and more) these problems have been drawn to the attention of the WICB. How more patient can WIPA be? it can only show that the WICB is a poorly operated organisation. Which company takes more than three years to solve any problem concerning the welfare of their most prized asset....their workforce!.

The manner in which WIPA might have gone about getting their point across to the WICB may not have been wisest at times. However, the West Indies players should take heart in the fact that Ramnarine is not a coward and he has stood by them even when they have not given him much to work with in light of the poor results and silly public rants.

WIPA unlike the WICB has shown to be a proactive institution. Ramnarine has initiated several projects to benefit the West Indian community and regional cricket. In 2007 they teamed with the United Nations to fight against HIV, the formation of the WIPA Twenty20 Club Champions League, annual player awards and community projects and outreach programmes to bridge the gap between the people and West Indian players. Recently he has initiated a regional captain's seminar to improve the quality of captaincy in the region and to foster improved communications with players.

I have yet to see the WICB set up their "famed" Academy and I can forecast a disorganised and poor regional Twenty20 competition to replace the now defunct Stanford 20/20 if they do manage to get one in place. Hopefully the WICB will realise the West Indian public will not buy their charade for much longer and they need to assess themselves quickly and efficiently and stop painting WIPA as the villain of West Indies cricket.

The West Indian community must realise that WIPA is the Union of the West Indian players and they are doing their job. When Errol McLeod did the same for the Oil Workers Trade Union in Trinidad I did not hear anybody complain.

Radio and television cynics are quick to identify cricket as a gentleman's sport and players must play for pride. However, times have changed, culture has changed and gentlemen also have families to feed.

Where now for Trinidad and Tobago in WICB Tournament?

2009-07-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) will have to make hard decisions next year if they want to the national team to have any chance of winning the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Four Day Tournament in 2010. Within recent time the national team has enjoyed more success in the limited overs form of the game winning the Stanford 20/20 tournament, Stanford Champion of Champions match at the Stanford Super Series and the WICB Limited Overs title.

However, a disappointing fourth place finish in the four day tournament have posed many questions about Trinidad and Tobago's potency. If the current state of affairs continue I do not see the national team dethroning Jamaica who have won the tournament two years in a row.

The bowling department needs to be revamped with more emphasis being placed on form and not on past performances. Off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth was shown up as a very ordinary bowler. For the past few seasons he was the leading wicket taker in the regional championships. However, most of his wickets have come from impatient batsmen with a "do or die" attitude as oppose to him outfoxing the opposition. This season batsmen showed greater desire to play longer innings and play patiently against Jaggernauth.

The withdrawal of left hand unorthodox spinner Dave Mohammed due to personal reasons left a massive gap in the side along with the spate of injuries to pacers Rayad Emrit, Ravi Rampaul and Richard Kelly.

Jaggernauth's role in the national team must be carefully examined along with several other bowlers. He is not the best spinner in the country with Magnum Nanan and Kissondath Magram being superior wicket taking bowlers. Sunil Narine is also a good option but his bowling action is suspect and would become a liability if changes are not made.

Medium pacer Richard Kelly has declined rapidly and a lack of confidence shown by the national team's skipper Daren Ganga in him has not helped his situation. Outside of Ravi Rampaul and allrounder Dwayne Bravo the pace attack is very tame. Emrit has been categorized as a stock bowler and should be given the opportunity to attack on a greater basis. Consideration should be given to Clico Preysal pacer Shannon Gabriel who has an abundance of raw pace and has improved his control vastly.

The allrounder position in the team needs to be defined clearly. During the 2009 season the national team used Imran Khan and Sherwin Ganga as allrounders. This clearly impacted negatively on the team's bowling attack as the lack of another specialist bowler, preferably a pacer was evident. Despite Sherwin Ganga performing creditably it must be decided if he is played as a batsman or as an allrounder since accommodating two allrounders definitely played against the national team in the regional tournament.

Khan has been the success story of the 2009 season taking 38 wickets with his leg-spin, the most by any Trinidad and Tobago bowler while scoring 420 runs from eight matches. He just needs to work on facing short pitch bowling which has been his downfall.

The end of season statistics show that the batting was not a problem for Trinidad and Tobago. What the statistics don't show is that Trinidad and Tobago were unable to post strong first innings totals, which resulted in them chasing matches from the onset. Too much depended on Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo with vastly experienced batsmen Kieron Pollard, Sherwin Ganga and wicketkeeper batsman Gibran Mohammed guilty of inconsistency.

This coupled with the catastrophic failure of batsmen Justin Guillen, Jason Mohammed and a brief two match stint for yet another allrounder Samuel Badree resulted in Trinidad and Tobago virtually conceding the title race after three rounds of cricket. Honestly the National Selectors must have forgotten that Trinidad and Tobago were playing four day cricket which requires more specialist batsmen and bowlers and could have been stuck in ODI mode going for a team of allrounders on a persistent basis.

But the National Selectors and Daren Ganga must take responsibility for some of the worst and most baffling selections of all time. At certain stages of the season I believe that even Daren Ganga was confused by the teams he helped select, such were the ineffective nature of several players. So poor was the team selection in 2009 it ranks on par with the notorious work of the West Indies selectors.

Questions loom large about the inability of Mario Belcon to be given another opportunity on the national team despite being the most consistent run scorer in the domestic league. Anthony Balgobin the Queen's Park wicketkeeper/batsman deserves a shot behind the stumps after his impressive performances for the past two seasons and the dramatic decline of Gibran Mohammed. Hence unpopular decisions will have to be made if Trinidad and Tobago are to get results, but it will depend on the TTCB and Selection Panel who thus far have proven that they are not strong enough to make critical decisions at the most important of times.

Ones to watch: My top Five

2009-07-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yannic Cariah

Yannic Cariah - The complete player. Left hand batsman and right hand leg-spinner. An appetite for runs and an aggressive spinner. Cariah has the physical built, the cricketing intelligence and talent to play for West Indies.

Kissondath Magram - Leg spinner who spins the ball tremendously. Magram has all the deliveries in a leg-spinner's arsenal and can deliver under pressure. At 16, he is the youngest member of the Trinidad and Tobago's Under-19 team.

Yannick Ottley - A natural leader and a competent allrounder. Ottley is very intelligent and could be a future West Indies captain if he maintains his current progress.

Evin Lewis - An aggressive opening batsman who hits the ball cleanly. Lewis is not afraid to take on bowlers and backs himself to score runs.

Nicholas Alexis - An an attacking middle order batsman. Forget Kieron Pollard look out for Alexis who has the potential to develop into a world class allrounder. Alexis can play both pace and spin and should be a handful for any bowler.

Adrian Barath: Saviour or Imposter

2009-07-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

Adrian Barath

The first time I met West Indies batsman Adrian Barath was at a National Division II club match in 2003. I was playing for Moosai Sports and Barath was representing Munroe Road at the time. Barath was 13 years old but what I noticed was that his technique was immaculate and from speaking to him he was always assessing himself and aiming for his long term goals.

When I became the cricket correspondent at the Newsday I would again encounter Barath. However, he was not playing for Munroe Road but for Trinidad and Tobago in the regional first class tournament. He just became the youngest batsman to score a first class century and was delivering on the hype associated with his persona after former West Indies captain Brian Lara touted him as a future great West Indies batsman.

However, after a modest performance at the ICC World Under-19 Championships in Malaysia and a slow start to his third season of first class cricket many questions were being raised about Barath being the next Test superstar or just a pretender on the world stage.

Following his career since his first class debut and seeing him play several matches at the youth level, I believe that it is quite preposterous to accuse Barath of being overrated.

Barath's statistics are quite staggering and has shown that he is a consistent opening batsman. He has played 21 First Class matches scoring 1,608 runs, a top score of 192 versus the Leeward Islands at an average of 47.29. His statistics has proven him to be a model of consistency in the longer format of the game. The First Citizens Clarke Road batsman has played nine List A matches (Limited Overs) scoring 285 runs with an average of 31.66.

What the statistics don't show is his ability to adapt and learn from various conditions and circumstances. In his three seasons of first class cricket Barath has developed his physique, mental strength and array of shots without losing his focus and drive for success.

He possesses an astute understanding of the game which has been fostered by experienced players such as Daren Ganga and local cricket administrator Baldath Mahabir. Therefore Barath has been given the luxury of being surrounded by intelligent cricketing minds to learn from, which has advanced his development at a rapid rate. This nurturing ensured that Barath maintains his focus, something which should have been done for West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall whose stock is falling rapidly.

His ability to perform on the big stage and deliver is a key attribute. But his biggest bonus thus far is the way he learns from his mistakes. Batsmen playing in the West Indies' first class tournaments are guilty of making the same mistake repetitively. However, Barath has shown that bowlers will have to find new ways of claiming his wicket because of the adjustments and improvements he constantly makes to the weaker areas of his batting.

Currently he possesses all the attributes of what a great West Indian batsman is compromised off. There is talent, drive, direction, aggression and a solid thinking mind. I believe his start to Test cricket will not be as rapid as his entrance to first class cricket but he will adapt quickly and soon begin to show the class and deliver on the promise which the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board has invested in.

Ultimately it is only a matter of time for him. He has scored a century for the West Indies 'A' against England and the question is when and against who he will score his first Test century for the West Indies.

FUSION

Barath bats for change in TT

Gayle’s return hinges on WICB

Blessing in disguise

My sympathy to the TTFF

Hunte, Hilaire must quit says Roberts

What TT cricketers must do to beat Jamaica

Where do the Windies go from here?

ICC Spot-Fixing decision

Windies sponsorship a disaster waiting to happen

Yorke lived the dream

Barath says Sri Lankan tour crucial for Windies hopes

Concern over loan of US$6M to WICB

WIPA, WI Board clash over Airtel

Barclay outstanding for club in Cheshire league

Coach says TT cricketers hitting stride at right time

TT Sports minister plans Pro League

TTCB president want CEPEP contracts for cricket clubs

Warner predicts TT in W/Cup 2014

WIPA cricket camps deemed a big success

Ganga satisfied with T20 ‘prep’

Ganga plans new strategies for Caribbean T20 cricket

Top posts for TT skipper Ganga

West Indies board reject advice to dump director

Twenty20 and 50 over team selection

Social ills of elections

All time low

We want to stamp authority

Stick fingers Henry puts FIFA on the spot

Top 10 silly sporting moments (2009)

Trinidad and Tobago will win the regional four-day tournament in style

TT cricketers secure sponsor on their own

Windies cricket boss slams Murray for boycott tactics

WICB chief queries TTCB cricket motives

Johnson named Cricketer of the Year

Is TT dynamics right?

WICB Release

Answers

Question and Answer

Top cricketers I have played with

India poised to topple Proteas

TTCB make false promises

The Spectacular Mr Lara

USA to form Twenty20 League

WIPA turn to CARICOM

Latest World Rankings

WIPA Apology

Franchise cricket the way forward

My favourite people to interview

WIPA Fact Release

The secret of New Found Glory revealed

WICB Statement

WIPA Statement

WIPA: Protector or Mercenary?

Where now for Trinidad and Tobago in WICB Tournament?

Ones to watch: My top Five

Adrian Barath: Saviour or Imposter