West Indies Cricket Fans

Here's an example....

From "No Holding Back", the autobiography of Michael Holding:

'Athletics was something I enjoyed immensely and because I was happy just being involved in any sport, rather than concentrating on one, I tried everything, including hurdles, the 400 metres and the high jump....In fact, my bowling run up was pretty close to how I would approach my run-up to the pit when competing in the long jump. The timing of your run for the long jump has to be precise or you go nowhere. There is little room for error with that take-off point. It has to be a relaxed, rhythmical, light-on-your-feet approach to get the best result. Sound familiar? Long jump was also the reason I bowled so few no-balls because I knew exactly where my feet were going to land.'

The moral of the story: school boys aspiring to be fast bowlers should also do the long jump in school to eradicate potential no-ball problems.

I find the first line of the paragraph very instructive.

- Enjoyed athletics, was happy to play any sport -

Enjoying participation in all sports is basically an amateur outlook, I'm not sure how that suits the contractual agreements to sponsors, public images and today's player intentions of income maximization.

I don't imagine someone like Kemar Roach having much time between tweets and his social schedule to dedicate a great deal of time to long jump or 400m, which is probably reflected in the small improvements to his skill set over the last three years.

After 46 Inns he has 96 wickets @ 27 and is being hailed a world class, that kind of premature ejac only promotes complacency and stifles the need for self improvement or appraisal.

Now consider Kenny Benjamin, 48 Inns, 92 wickets @ 30 without a new ball, or mention of greatness. Standards couldn't be any more different.

In a broader sense, modern day sports don't require an improving series of results to ensure continued payments/selection, so other than extreme cases self preservation or personal desire it's unlikely they see the skills needed for other sports as relevant.

So, to answer the question, pay Holding as a full time coach

paying him still won't work. its the ideology that has seeped into the game dominating the mind of sportsmen from start

Holding wont get them to play all sports..or all of them that they enjoy. they have to be mindful of the money

we need a new way..a new ideology of life that places money/security in the social arena..collective, freeing up everyone to learn, live and develop on that basis

that ideology will cleanse the stinking corporate cobwebs of backward, dumbing and generally limiting thought that now mucks up the social life completely, reducing human capacity, limiting human development

Courtney Walsh bowled on ave 46 overs per test .And many 13 and 14 over spells unchanged.

He was clearly a capable 800, 400 m runner, I'm almost certain he would have school boy achievements which testify to his all round athletic abilities, this again would signify a personal enjoyment in sports generally.

Transferable skills are always an asset in every pursuit

A 13 over spell brings big advantages if batsmen just want to see you off, as their left basically scoreless waiting for a bowling change, that never arrives.

Mark Butcher mentioned this during the rain break, when calculated 13 overs is nearly 2 hours work, for a fast bowler - a whole session.

Now if Taylor and Roach had that stamina. Rampaul, Cotterrell, Gabriel or Holder .

What happens at present is the opposition pick and choose the bowlers they will score off after the 5/6 overs new ball spell = 40 mins.

I think If bowlers can't up their speed any further, then all that leaves is accuracy and guile..... then stamina.

Guile comes down to what and how they process information, it would help if players could work it out for themselves during play but the current climate says there's a specified coach to handle that, so who better than Holding.

IMO If players can't think on their feet the next best solution is to have an accomplished mind come in a do it for them. It's for that reason I'm pessimistic Ambrose recent " work " with the squad will be short lived as is the case with many others, Saqlain, Gibson, Radford etc..but that is still to play out.

Looking at Walsh's record, stamina is prominent in all considerations. He was also accurate with guile, as Taylor is and never was as fast as Roach but his stamina appears to stand head and shoulders above their best qualities.

Improved stamina was also cited during WI period of cricket dominance .

Guile comes down to what and how they process information, it would help if players could work it out for themselves during play but the current climate dictates there is a specified coach to handle that, so who better than Holding.

maybe you missed my point.

it is systematic the problem. once you establish the structure and place a man in the position the structure changes the man most times. almost all the time..enough so different characters if/when they are appear mean little.

that surely sis one reason why they have appointed head coaches...structural. concentration of power produces dumbing down. you make it systematic, concentrate the power than place ass holes at that tertiary point.

everything goes through him..the coach.

there is a lot of power there that attracts the dictator types and to corrupt the Holding types.

the coach becomes an idiot or is one to start with. this results in students knowing more than the coach but they cant do anything because the coach has all the power. serious friction and confusion develops that uses up all energies in crap focuses

another reason is that all through the society power is structured the same way for the ease of control..pyramid..few at the apex broad powerless base...idiots at the tertiary points.

it is easy to control society when it is structured like that..great animosity, turbulence, confusion, dumbing down, bacchanal among the general body..wasting their time focused on crap while the pirate manipulators slip away with the loot.

and society entrenched in this way you cant tell them anything to the contrary save at risk of your very life..from the engendered stupidity of the people and the spies that proliferate looking for any one who even seems like a traitor to sell out for their pieces of silver.

but I would bet that the power corrupts the 'good' man early..and he turns into a bad one

Whatever system, there's an underlying desire for players to be told what and how to think.

Not such a good thing and not relevant to Mike's question, so not an issue I'm prepared to spend a great deal of time with.

too bad! maybe we wud have come to see why athletics cant help at all because no one is doing athletics any more along with cricket.

and if in fact athletics is of benefit to cricketers the only way we can get it into cricket programs is if there is basic social change that allows benefit for such use of time

all is interconnected..nothing separate and distinct..to be considered in isolation

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Ja ... e_17702940" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"What are your educational achievements to date?

Well so far I have eight CXCs. Four (ones), three (twos), a three and three distinctions.

What is your ultimate life ambition?

I would like to become a pilot or a sports doctor."


This is one of the rising stars of Jamaican athletics. Now, a question...how many CXCs does Marlon Samuels have?

CXC's, duh ...you tell me

when you compare the athletics structure jam has from school level upwards and then look at the cricket one it's DISGRACEFUL!! .. ..i think because they

Imo You find it very difficult to think, if you did you would know JA athletics has a better structure from, school upwards, than all six regional cricket boards.

By your own measure, that's makes them ALL DISGRACEFUL and since they constitute the WICBC.

dUnce