True cricket

West Indies cricket has inspired the world. Mired in contractual disputes, corruption and administrative roadblocks, the players nonetheless managed to win the Under 19, Women’s and Men’s T20 World Cups, showing that nothing can stop true passion and love for the game.

Following their historic triumph in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, the West Indies Cricket Board has reportedly offered its players to share the entire $1.6 million among themselves. The move is being looked at as a last ditch effort to amend the Board’s stormy relationship with the West Indies Cricket Team, which hit a new low after the players pulled out of a India tour in 2014. 

The gloss was soon taken off the scenes of unalloyed joy for the West Indies, who were also celebrating their women’s Twenty20 final victory against Australia earlier, when Captain Sammy gave vent to months – possibly years – of frustration with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in a post-match interview.

Referring to a lengthy and bitter pay dispute that had put their World Twenty20 participation in doubt, the all-rounder said his team felt “disrespected by our Board”. He recounted how the team did not even have uniforms, which their first-time Manager had to fly to Calcutta to procure. He also expressed anger at the best players of the side being left out of key one day and T20 tournaments, pushing the Windies lower down the ICC rankings. Despite the Windies’ inspired performance at the World Cup, they were faced with deafening silence from the West Indies Board. 

Over the years after protracted and bitter pay disputes several of the players have opted out of the National Team, preferring the IPL and other tournaments, indeed Bravo in a post-match interview slammed the West Indies Cricket Board and pointed out even the Indian Cricket Board treated them better. The latest triple victory will hopefully increase pressure to push the West Indies Cricket Board into more transparent and fair negotiations with the cricketers. 

After the spirit, fun and dancing talents displayed by the team, millions of cricket fans now have two favourite teams – their national side and the Windies. For many Sri Lankans it was easy to shift their support to the West Indies after the disappointing performance of their own team but what truly caught their attention was the way in which the team banded together despite all the negativity caused by the administrators and played for their fans. It was a performance that the Sri Lankan team can learn much from.  

This is a story many local cricket fans are familiar with, the incompetent, corrupt and selfish management versus the actual players who are often beloved by the public for their refusal to compromise. The likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene became legends because of their avowal to play for the fans. For Sri Lankans with little else to cheer, the dedication by players made them true cricketing gods. It is this genuine relationship between fans and players that seems to be missing from the new team.

But the West Indies players went even one step further. They supported their women’s team and Under 19 squad, insisting they drew inspiration from them and even cheered them on, often mentioning them in interviews. In Sri Lanka not only does the men’s version of the game suck up the resources, there is never any support for the women from the men’s team. The West Indies broke down all those barriers and in doing so won the hearts of the world.