From: ckhan@bbn.com (Chico Kahn (Room # 20/317 B))
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: Booing of Richardson
Date: 15 Apr 92 17:26:56 GMT
Reply-To: ckhan@BBN.COM (Chico Kahn (Room # 20/317 B))
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com

In article <1992Apr9.163132.5375@vax.oxford.ac.uk> mcbean@vax.oxford.ac.uk writes:
>I was lucky enough to see all of the WI innings (eat your heart out Chico!) and

I'm happy to say that I did see some of the match (on TV, in a bar, at
lunch :-(), however, I only saw South Africa batting, so I missed the
incident that you refer to.

>when Lara was out, I immediately turned to a friend and said listen for the
>booing.  Richardson was seen as the man who was responsible for the leaving out
>of three of the WI all time great players, Richards, Greenidge & Dujon after
>the English tour.  There has been unprecedented anger in the WI at this move
>particularly at the exclusion of Richards and Dujon.  Gary Sobers commented
>that some players who went should have stayed at home, and others who stayed
>should have gone.  Richards himself hinted that Richardson pressed hard for
>leaving him behind.

As you know, I was as upset as anyone else (and probably moreso than most)
at the team selected, especially in the exclusion of Richards and Dujon.
However, this is the first time I've heard that Richardson should bear the
primary responsibility for their ommission.  Is this a rumour, or confirmed
fact?  If it is true, then I'll have to say I'm very disappointed especially
since I thought Richardson was a better choice in the long run for the
captaincy rather than Haynes.


>The only avenue the public have to vent their displeasure is to either boycott
>matches or resort to barracking players.  For years Clive Lloyd and Vivian
>Richards have been roundly booed and harassed by the Trinidadian crowd.  It is
>in this context that the booing of Richardson must be seen.  It is a signal to
>the selectors that the public will not stand for the shabby treatment handed
>out to ssenior players.

It IS GOOD that some way be found to send a signal to the selectors.  Is 
booing the captain of the team the way?  Only, I think, if it is KNOWN that
he was the one responsible.  Otherwise, you wind up hurting the team more
than making the point.


>The other source of anger was the loss to SA in the World Cup, and as a result
>our failure to reach the semis.  I was in Jamaica at the time and the comment
>was that if Richards had been captain that was one match we could not have

I agree, even if he had to go out there and score 190 runs and take 7 wickets
himself!  He'd find a way to do it, too.


>lost.  Richardson also showed his naivety by declaring it just another cricket
>match, not realising the importance ordinary West Indians attach to success in
>cricket.  Somebody should slip him a copy of the CLR James classic, "Beyond The
>Boundary", if he has not yet read it.

I've got an extra copy.  Just send me his address... :-)


>Was it as Tony Cozier proclaimed a "disturbing and disgraceful act"? was it a
>legitimate expression of grievances from a public who after all the WI team do
>represent?  Would like the comments from the Windians on the net.  Will
>crosspost to soc.caribbean also.

A disappointing situation?  Yes, definitely.  A 'disturbing and disgraceful
act'?  Most certainly not!  Mr. Cozier has the ears of each selector in the
West Indies, I'm sure.  Most ordinary citizens do not.  We have to find
SOME way of making our grievances known and the choices are severly limited.
There are no 'town meetings' with the selectors.  How else can we get our
message across?  Phone in radio shows and letters to newspapers reach only
a few of the people and is easily ignored.  A protest at the match cannot
be ignored.  Every cricket conscious person is forced to acknowledge the
situation and, hopefully, ask (themselves) why it exists.

>McBean.

Chico.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket