1 week ago
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Well, it’s that time of the year again with Carnival Monday just four days away. Unsurprisingly, all major sports in T&T have been put on hold until after the “Merry Monarch” has reigned for the customary two days, where the magnificent sound of soca takes the applause from cricket at the Oval.
It is a difficult time for T&T’s athletes, who are caught in a storm of temptation, as they would see most of their family and friends attending the various fetes and although many of them would like to indulge in the activities, they will have to pick and choose which events and how many events they would attend while trying to maintain their fitness and weight levels. Maintaining peak physical condition amidst a sea of doubles and rum is a challenge that has tested the professionalism of athletes since we have had Carnival.
Unfortunately, the national cricketers do not have the luxury of staying at home and at least being spectators for two days. While the nation plunges headfirst into the kaleidoscope of J’ouvert and Carnival, the greatest show on earth, the Red Force cricketers are packing their kit bags for Antigua. The West Indies Regional Four-day Championship resumes on Wednesday(March 5) and the Red Force tackles the West Indies Academy at the Coolidge Cricket Ground; because nothing says “post-Carnival blues” like facing the West Indies Academy on Ash Wednesday. The Red Force currently lies second in the standings behind the Guyana Harpy Eagles.
T&T has had a good run of fixtures thus far, defeating the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) by an innings and 75 runs. The Windward Islands Volcanoes suffered a similar fate, going under by an innings and 176 runs. The only blemish on their record is the drawn game versus the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, where a seemingly placid pitch on the small outfield at Warner Park in St Kitts accounted for massive totals in both team’s first innings, with T&T getting to 529 for 5 declared. At the same time, the Hurricanes lost their first wicket with the score at 220 but were eventually dismissed for 433.
Jason Mohammed is in scintillating form and seems to be on a mission to let his critics know that age is merely a number – a number that is increasing like his batting average, as he is scoring century after century. No one can push him out of the Red Force team or tell him when he has to leave the game and ride out into the sunset. He is allowing his bat to do the talking for him and he is batting with the ferocity of a man who made the doubles for Beenie Man and is out to prove a point. He is working hard at his game from a batting standpoint and his fitness levels must also be good. He should be a real inspiration for his younger teammates as they can take a page out of his book on his determination to succeed.
Joshua Da Silva, the Red Force skipper, is also making a point with his bat, and a rather loud one, getting a century in both innings against the same Hurricanes. This came on the heels of when he was promoted to vice-captain of the West Indies Test team for the recent tour to Pakistan and was then promptly dropped. It only happens in the whimsical world of West Indies cricket, where logic takes long vacations. His only retort was to let his bat do the talking while continuing to uphold the high standards of his wicketkeeping.
I am hoping Amir Jangoo starts to convert those promising starts into epic innings. He got 60 in the first innings and a first-ball duck in the second innings, out to a delivery from fellow West Indies teammate Alzarri Joseph. I have a lot of time for Jangoo as I believe if he works hard at his game, he has a future to play for the West Indies in all formats of the game. He has the potential to be a star, but potential without performance is like a fete without music – a tragic waste.
The real test for the Red Force will begin when they take on the Barbados Pride at Kensington Oval in Barbados from March 12. The Pride’s formidable batting, with Kraigg Brathwaite, Zachary McCaskie and Jonathan Drakes, thrive on regional bowling and if they are not dismissed early, all three are capable of big scores. Their bowling, with the veteran Kemar Roach well supported by the youngsters Ramon Simmonds and Matthew Forde, will pose problems with the new ball. Once the pitch starts to turn, Jomel Warrican will come into his own. But that game is two weeks away. Let us see how the Red Force gets on against the West Indies Academy and then they could truly prepare for the Barbados Pride.
Internationally, the Champions Trophy bowled off in Karachi last Wednesday with the home country Pakistan tackling a well-drilled and prepared New Zealand outfit, who look like a different team in terms of their preparation. When they competed in the region at the ICC Men’s T20 tournament, they were diabolical performance-wise but vs Pakistan, they looked like a team that would compete with the best of the best for the trophy.
Group A will feature, together with Pakistan and New Zealand, India and Bangladesh. Group B includes Australia, England, South Africa and Afghanistan. In addition to the venues in Pakistan, games will also be played in Dubai.
India and New Zealand seem destined for the semi-finals based on the early results from Group A, while Australia and South Africa are favourites to advance from Group B unless the English pull off a mighty victory against the Proteas. England’s batting, when they fire, is like a Carnival band in full swing – loud, flamboyant, and impossible to ignore.
The English amassed a huge 351 for 8 against a relatively green Australian attack. No Mitchell Stark, Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins, or Scott Boland so it was no surprise for them to get to that total. The Aussies’ batting led by Steve Smith and Travis Head had their work cut out to get to the total but Head made six and Smith made five. However, wicketkeeper Josh Inglis played a masterful 120 not out to lead them to victory by five wickets with 15 balls to spare. The overall strength of Australian cricket is truly unbelievable, with their cricketing depth seeming to be as vast as the outback. When England plays South Africa it should be a great contest. South Africa’s bowlers are the bouncers at the fete ensuring only the worthy get through, but if England can get close to 300, they could spring a surprise.
And where are the West Indies? The former champions are now relegated to watching from the sidelines, like if Machel had to watch Machel Monday at home on TV. On September 25, 2004, under the captaincy of Brian Lara, the West Indies pulled off a remarkable two-wicket victory against the English at the Oval in London to become winners of the ICC Champions Trophy, with Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw putting together a 71-run ninth-wicket partnership to see the West Indies home, a relic of a bygone era.
Now, Bangladesh and Afghanistan qualify for the Champions trophy before the West Indies. What a sad state of affairs and a stark reminder of the decline. But, as the soca rhythms pulse through the air, I’ll keep singing my road march for West Indies cricket: “Better days are coming, dey coming, dey coming!” Because hope, like a good Carnival costume, should never fade. Have a safe and spectacular Carnival, Trinidad & Tobago! And may our cricketers find their rhythm, both on and off the field. Because even in the midst of bacchanal, the game must go on.
Editor’s note: The views expressed in the preceding article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any organisation in which he is a stakeholder.
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