Take a look at the Australians. They have turned Sir Donald Bradman into a larger-than-life hero. I am sure every schoolboy in Australia has a pretty good idea who The Don was, and what he achieved. And that is as it should be. Sir Donald Bradman deserves every single accolade that has been, and continues to be, showered upon him. The question is: Why haven’t the West Indies done the same with Sir Garfield Sobers? Sobers is arguably the most talented player ever to grace the game. His name ought to be a household word on the lips of every child in the West Indies. And look at the way the Aussies idolise Dennis Lillee. He took 355 wickets in 70 Tests at an average of 23.92. But haven’t the Windies their own Dennis Lillee in Malcolm Marshall? Marshall took 376 wickets in 81 Tests at an average of 20.94. If anyone deserves legendary status it is Marshall, who was one of Test cricket's finest along with Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts, Curtly Ambrose. These are the heroes that young West Indian fast bowlers ought to have in their sights. But the truth is that many of them do not know who these players are and, quite frankly, perhaps don't even care.
What is it that continues to motivate and stir Glenn McGrath to higher feats? It's the desire to be compared to his idol, Lillee. Or take Brett Lee. He wants to challenge Jeff Thomson as Australia's fastest bowler. Truth be told, Lee is a good bowler, not a great one. But he happens to come from a country that honours its heroes, and so gives him something to aspire to. Recently, Marshall departed from this world, but no great fuss was made, and no scholarships or awards have been set up in his memory. That is a shame that as West Indians, we must all live with. We don't honour our heroes. So why in heaven's name should our youngsters want to be cricketers? What is there to hope for, to aspire to, or to treasure?
Today the Sri Lankans and Australians rightly laud the achievements of Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. We are all waiting eagerly to see which of them will break Courtney Walsh's record. But long before Warne or Murali came on the scene it was Lance Gibbs who held the record with 309 wickets surpassing Freddie Trueman's 12-year-old record in 1976. Until Warne and Murali, no other spinner in the history of the game had ever crossed the 300-wicket mark except Gibbs. Yet how many young and aspiring spinners in the West Indies know that? Today's youngsters have no idea of the remarkable achievements of their predecessors and, therefore, are not motivated to scale those heights. That is the reason why so many of them, after an impressive debut, fall by the wayside. Simply making the West Indies team seems to be their biggest goal. Once there, they feel that there is nothing more for them to accomplish - they have made it! It's the arrogance of ignorance.
When Chris Gayle goes out to open the innings, does he really understand the honour that has been bestowed upon him? Does he truly appreciate being compared to Roy Fredericks? Come to think of it, does Gayle know who Fredericks was? I'm sure he has heard the name, but does he actually know that this was the man who single-handedly murdered Lillee and Thommo to the tune of a blistering 169 at Perth - the haven of fast bowlers - and at the height of their careers?
Or take Ramnaresh Sarwan. In 2000 on the tour to England, Ted Dexter likened him to Rohan Kanhai. That is undoubtedly the greatest accolade Sarwan will ever receive in his lifetime. But does Sarwan really understand that? Can he understand it?
I have nothing but respect and admiration for Sarwan. The very first time I saw him, I felt that he was one of, if not the most talented youngsters around. But the point is, do our children really know who Rohan Kanhai is/was? Kanhai is arguably the most gifted exponent of the art of batsmanship to ever come out of the caribbean. He was a genius, whose feats can only be measured in context.
And finally, let's take a look at Reon King. When King is given the new ball does he truly appreciate the honour? Does King know that he is, literally, running in the footsteps of the world-record holder, Courtney Walsh, or the legendary Roberts, Holding, Marshall, Ambrose, Hall, Griffith?
Today, every paper you open, every website you visit, every discussion you sit in on, you find the Aussies singing their favourite tune - that their present team is the greatest ever. Really? Greater than Lloyd’s all-conquering 1980s team? I am willing to place a bet (better make that a friendly bet, as ICC is pretty serious about that sort of thing these days). If the two teams ever met, I'd say that Lloyd's side would trounce these Aussies every day of the week, and twice on Sundays. But what do we know of that great West Indian team? How much has been written about them? Zero, zilch, nada. So how can you expect today's youngsters to have that strength of conviction, that determination to fight, when they are grossly ignorant of their own history and past achievements.
It is not solely the WICB that is at fault here. No, it is an entire culture, an entire society that must share the blame - the politicians, the novelists and poets, the sportswriters, the teachers. In a word, everyone who is in a position to praise, worship, elevate and venerate our stars, but have failed to do so.
Recently, a friend told me that the one and only publication devoted to West Indian cricket - the Caribbean Quarterly, edited by the respected Tony Cozier - will no longer be published. Great. Another nail in the coffin of West Indian cricket.
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© shamsamaroo
This column first appeared in Wisden Online.