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2/27/2009 By Peter Adrien Painful adjustments indeed! Bitter lessons from adjustment shocks! Like many in the financial, airline, housing and automobile industries, the Brits (the English Cricket Team) are having a very bitter and painful adjustment. However, if the Londoners cannot adjust in this ongoing fourth battle, life for some of the players could be solitary and short. After the draw in a contest they dominated in over four days, England would fear-stricken! West Indies came from behind and shocked England into frustration, after the Brits like a coward opted to play it too safely. On February 19, 2009, West Indies having scored 285 runs and 370 runs for 9 wickets drew the third test match against with England (who amassed 566 runs for 9 declared and 221 runs for 8 declared). Chasing a nominal target of 503, West Indies battened down the hatches and clung on to the close on 370 for 9, with the light fading fast and 10 men piled around the bat as England's spinner. West Indies' last pair of Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell blocked out the final 36 minutes of a magnificent Test match at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG), to secure the draw that maintained their 1-0 lead in the series, and revived the momentum for the fourth contest at Kensington, Barbados on 28 February – 02 March, 2009. Congratulations are in order to Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Team. They managed to instill fear into Captain Andrew Strauss and his band of English cricketers at Sabina; drove them to the area of least resistance even when they were in control for four of the five days of the battle at the ARG; and finally took away the honours from the Brits on the final day! Moreover, if the outcome of the ARG battle is understood in the context of the off-field and on-field developments that influenced the outcome of the game, the lessons from the ARG should even contribute to making the Maroon Cricketers (the West Indies Cricket Team) a more formidable band of athletes, a stronger unit and, a more competitive international team. After all, the drama at the ARG was indeed a front stage performance of four developments that significantly influenced the outcome of the third test match. Did you know that at least four different but related developments external to the cricket match between England and the West Indies at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG) would have significantly influenced the outcome? First there is the inescapable impact of the current financial and economic crisis on sport as a business; secondly, there is the “bombshell” of the latest Stanford financial crisis; third, there was the abandonment of the second test match at the North Sound; and fourth, the shock of the demolition of England at Sabina. First, Caribbean households, businesses and governments are negatively impacted by the external financial and economic circumstances. It begun with the skyrocketing cost of fuel (close to US $150 a barrel at one point) which in turn sent the cost of food spiralling. And the bottom fell out of the global financial sector just about the time that oil prices toppled by almost 50%. The adjustment has been bitter for some and painful for others. There has been a substantial rise in the price of building materials, utilities, foods, and other commodities, and consequent erosion of the disposable incomes of households that ultimately led decreasing consumer spending, falling investment a declining in activity within the local economy. As it is everyone is in a mode of adjustment. Perhaps it is safe to say that thee is no long stationary point at this time. Hence where is to time top think? Decisions must be taken quickly and even with the limited information we have. Did this state of mind have serious implications for the outcome of the match at the ARG? Second, news of fraud charges against Allen Stanford, sponsor of Stanford Twenty/20m and Stanford Twenty/20 for 20 sent shock waves in the cricketing industry and the banking system. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint this week in a federal court in Dallas accusing Stanford, who heads the Stanford Financial Group, of fraud in the sale of around US$8 billion of high-yielding certificates of deposits held in his organisation's bank in Antigua. Since then, The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), the two boards most closely associated with Stanford, have disassociated themselves with the modern-day Kerry Packer. The crisis will have an immediate impact on some of the future tournaments organized by both the affected boards. The events suggested that domestic cricket could be at risk. The balance sheets of the ECB, WICB and a number will be seriously affected. A number of the current West Indies Team (Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine C handerpaul, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, and Sulieman Benn) was made millionaires by Stanford in November 2008. The Stanford 20/20 regional series in West Indies is now unlikely to be held. How does one separate oneself from a mutual relationship of that nature? How does no refrain from showing empathy? The third development was the abandonment of the second test match at the newly built CWC2007 stadium at North Sound after ten balls – it was declared unfit for international cricket. It was said to be too sandy to be used as a cricket venue. Donald Peters, the chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), said the West Indies Cricket Board, which should have been held responsible for the abandonment, is not prepared to "take the risk" of ever playing at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium again. He went on to say, "I would recommend they play soccer there from now on. The amount of funding it would take to make that into a Test venue again will be significant. I would advise the government and local cricket association to put their resources into restoring the Recreation Ground. The West Indies Cricket Board will not go back to the Vivian Richards Stadium. We are not prepared to take the risk." Consequently, both teams had to adjust to a change of venue between Friday and Sunday. Neither team knew w hat to expect from the old football field. It seemed that both teams had decided to bowl first should they win the toss. It was expected that the ball would fly; batsmen would jump; and wickets would tumble. It was felt that the call of the toss would determine that outcome of the game. And Chris Gayle thought he had it made when he won the toss and decided to bowl first. Andrew Strauss said he would have done the same. Well, all the forecast were wrong! The ARG played like the old ARG – a flat and sleepy batting paradise. And England profited by taking the first knock! Finally, perhaps there was West Indies Team’s incapacity to adjust to the shock of the demolition of England at Sabina in the first test - and their inability to build on the victory of the last battle. There was a sharp drop in performance of the West Indies from Kingston to St John’s in all departments. The bowling was not as threatening, consistent and fiery as it were at Sabina. Some of the dismissals were simply not acceptable at this level - the entire top order of the batting department gave away their wickets. And that was true for Smith, Gayle, Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Hinds in the first innings. Not only was Swann given token wickets but he was allowed to bowl with confidence since the batsmen refused to attack him as young Lendl Simmons demonstrated in the West Indies A in St Kitts and Nevis when he posted 282 runs. Certain off-field occurrences must have influenced the performances. Each phenomenon we discussed above, would had its negative impact on the responsiveness (or performances) of both teams but was definitely distressing for the British! Now, can the Londoners back in Bridgetown; or can the Maroons drive home take advantage? All the Windies need is another draw. A win will be the dagger! Let us go back to Kensington! |
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