Orville Higgins | Back off! Leave Cameron alone!

I have spoken to St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves on a couple of occasions, once on air while on radio, and briefly on the phone off air. I have found him to be quite affable and easy going. He gives the impression that though he may walk with kings, he still retains the common touch. Despite never meeting him in person, I rather like the man, and therefore nothing that I will say in this piece, should be seen as personal.

The truth is that I am becoming a little tired of the CARICOM Prime Ministerial sub committee and their consistent effort to try and put pressure on the West Indies cricket board president Dave Cameron. The committee has been relentless in trying to not only suggest, but apparently to impose their will on the West Indies board and are apparently insistent that their dictates should be followed as it relates to the direction of how West Indies cricket should run. Now mind you, there is a lot that ails West Indies cricket, and I believe any interest group should be able to make constructive criticisms and give advice on the way forward. Giving advice is one thing, however, trying to effectuate your will is another thing entirely.

Dr Gonsalves and his committee went so far as to write to the ICC, trying to arrange a meeting to discuss West Indies cricket. In my mind, this is taking issues a little bit too far. It is now beginning to look like the Prime Ministerial sub committee will stop at nothing to act as a pressure group against the Dave Cameron-led West Indies board. Why is it so important for these Prime Ministers to try to fix everything regarding West Indies cricket, as opposed to any other sport? I was at the CARIFTA Games and I can't remember St Vincent and the Grenadines doing anything of note. My sources tell me that there is not even a decent track and field facility in that country. Why is track and field in St Vincent and the Grenadines not seemingly a priority for Dr Gonsalves?

I looked up St Vincent and the Grenadines placement on the FIFA football listing. They are ranked 175 in the World, nestled neatly in between Kosovo and Kuwait! Why is football in his country not something that appears to be grabbing the interest of the Goodly Prime Minister? What is the standard of netball or basketball in St Vincent and the Grenadines? This isn't exclusively about Dr Gonsalves either. What is the standard of sports generally in the countries presided over by the high-ranking members of the CARICOM sub committee? Forget those other sports, what are the great cricketing programmes that have been organised by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association or indeed the other associations that are led by Prime Ministers in this sub committee? What reason do we have to believe that their ability to decide on the direction of West Indies cricket will supersede their ability to run other sports in their countries?

LET PRESIDENT SERVE

Enough is now enough. The CARICOM sub committee should allow the president to serve out his term in peace. He was duly elected by representatives from all over the region and it is now appearing that there is a personal vendetta against the man. Again, I reiterate that I have no issues with the Prime Ministerial sub committee putting forward proposals that they think will improve the state of West Indies cricket. I am among those who would welcome any suggestions that would improve our cricket. However, the sub committee should adhere to this long standing tenet that used to be given to "lines men" in football, in the days before they were called assistant referees. They should "assist" but never "insist." I think they may have gone overboard in how they are attempting to out muscle the West Indies cricket president. The ICC's response was interesting. They are not planning on meeting with the Prime Ministerial sub committee without the presence of Dave Cameron. Their response to Dr Gonsalves is clearly hinting that they will not throw one of their own under the bus, no matter what the political influences are. Hopefully the sub committee will back off, or be less strident in their approach. I will continue to watch this with keen interest.