We ah de champions

Ole people say “when yuh are ah Winner, everybody dey wid yuh, but when yuh Losing, nobody want want to see or hear yuh, yuh like ah orphan.” Nothing is closer to de truth ‘bout dat statement dan de state ah West Indies T20 Cricket today. Things good now and we all pon board wid de T20 Team. Ah could remember de days when ever WI playing, how ah uses to set up all night watching cricket, and next day at wuk, ah sleeping wid me head pon de desk.{{more}} It still fresh pon me mind, dem days when West Indies was in action at home or abroad, people walking town street, transistor Radio glued to dey ears listening even de Ads between overs. How ‘bout when yuh walking thru town street, WI playing cricket, de side-walks outside business houses, blocked way-ever dey’s ah TV set in de show windows. My most unforgettable at home in Murray Village, Brian Lara batting, ah went to de kitchen foh some water, den all of ah sudden ah heard ah loud uproar coming from Kingstown, Brian Lara had broken Sobers world record of 365 runs in an innings. Dah’s no lie eh!

Those were de days when we were Winners. Now-ah-days if ah Test match wid West Indies lasts two days, dat would be ah miracle. If by chance ah miss de overnight cricket scores on de News, ah better don’t ask anyone foh an update, unless ah prepare me-self foh an insult. First ah would get ah loud “choops teeth” and den ah grumble “Anybody got time to waste wid dem jokers?”

Yes we back on ah all time High! Me ah man dat don’t like to miss Church, but when ah say ah bun church last Sunday to watch some “Cricket! Lovely Cricket,” yuh will know dat ah suffering from de “We ah de Champion” chorus line from Bravo song. Dis Champion thing started in February, when West Indies Under 19 Team defeated three times winners, India Under 19 in de fifty overs World Championship held in Bangladesh. Was from dat victory de Ah-drain-all-in started to pump in we vein. Never mind de devil had already surfaced and created serious division between de senior star cricketers like Sammy, Bravo, Gayle & Co and de West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Dey was dat long running pay dispute way WICB was refusing to negotiate wid West Indies star players, saying dat dey will deal only wid de West Indies Player’s Association (WIPA) dat had only one player on de squad dat went to India. Is all ah dis craziness dat mashing up we cricket. Hadn’t it been foh de De Vine intervent-shun by Carry-Come leaders, our team was going to India widout de real match winners, de super stars. Dey was no way we could ah win de 2016 T20 World Championship.

Sammy’s victory speech was like ah painful eulogy to listen. Ah bitter sweet victory, he had shown firm leadership, he wanted to win badly, to get his chance to hit back at de press who had described de West Indies Team as brainless. He also took ah big swipe at de WICB president Dave Cameron calling him an Arrogant Guy! He was very emotional as he complained to de wide world dat his “players were hurt and can’t tek it no more,” and all dey were asking for is ah lickle respect! Nuff Respect Sammy!

It was at de presentation dat we learned de team went to Indian widout uniform and ah Manager. Was PM Keith Mitchell of Grenada (incidentally he played cricket foh Grenada in 1973) who hustled off Rawle Lewis to meet de team and take up de mantle as manager. Cameron and de present Board should go!

NO REST PON SUNDAY

De song says “Never on ah Sunday for dat’s my day of rest!” Not last Sunday, ah had no rest. From 5:00 a.m. it was de Ladies time, WI vs three times winners and defending champions, Australia. Of course both male and female matches took place on de same day, at de same venue in Eden Gardens, India. Dem Australian ladies always play ah hard game ah cricket, but our Ladies Champion of T20 Cricket are not only equally as hard fighters, but even more talented and experienced dan dey formidable opponents. Dat fact was evidently on display on de field of play last Sunday.

One thing dat has surfaced from dis Asian experience, is de quality leadership dat was displayed by our WI captains in all three categories: Shimron Hetymer Under 19 skipper; Stafanie Taylor female captain and Darren Sammy whose aggression and intimidating “come let us go fellars” approach to WI cricket, has not been seen foh ah long time by ah WI captain. He was ah man on ah mission, knowing dat was his last chance to prove his point, win de Championship den give dem hell!

De future looks good foh W,I. T20 cricket, Braff-wit was phenomenal wid ah 6! den another 6! and another 6! How much more to win? One? Well hit one last 6 foh braw-thaw. We ah de Champion! And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.