You cannot make this stuff up - you really can't. The West Indies just celebrated one of its most convincing victories at Sabina Park, and here we are less than a week later and the second test had to be abandoned after 1.4 overs. Why, because parts of the outfield at the Sir Vivian Richards stadium were unsuitable for play. This is gross incompetence that shows a complete disregard for the people of the Caribbean and the game in general.  Once again West Indies is made the laughing stock of the cricket world. Who is responsible for this colossal embarrassment?  Why, it’s the WICB, of course! How in heaven’s name do you approve a venue for test match without doing the necessary ground work to ensure its suitability?  It is understood that the last time a first class match was played in Antigua was 2003 – almost 6 years ago! How then does Antigua get to host a test match? 

Let’s assume, for a moment, that the hardly-working people at the WICB were asleep at the wheel. How that could be you ask. Agreed, but let’s assume that was the case. In the days leading up to the game, everyone that saw the field questioned whether a test match should be played there. Even the England team abandoned its net session there for fear of player injury. Given all of that, why didn’t the WICB send someone to Antigua to do a last minute inspection? Come to think of it, there was no need for the WICB to send anyone to Antigua – the headquarters of the WICB is in Antigua!  Aha! Maybe that’s how Antigua gets to host a test match even though not a single first class game was played there in almost six years This debacle brings back memories of 1998 when the game at Sabina Park became the first test in history to be called off half an hour after play began because of the state of the pitch. 

The person(s) responsible for bringing this shame, yet again, on the West Indian people should be held fully accountable, meaning that they should no longer be allowed to make such a mistake again. But, as usual nothing will happen; there will be no consequences and this will be swept under the rug like everything else has been in the last 15 years. Already the WICB, just like it did with the Digicel/Stanford fiasco, is looking to shift the blame – this time to the ICC. But ICC top man, Haroon Lorgat, was having none of it and quickly set the record straight laying this gross negligence squarely at the feet of the WICB. One is reminded of a popular expression among teachers. It goes something like this: How do you know a teenager is lying? His lips move!  And how do you know the WICB...well, you know the rest.  Speaking of lips moving, it’s Valentine’s Day – Happy Lying WICB…oops, Happy Valentine!

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