Tony Becca

THE AUSTRALIAN way, in one way, is the way to go.

Once the undisputed kings of cricket, the West Indies are now at the bottom of the standings, ranked above only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

In an effort to get back to the glory days, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), having looked at the dominance of Australia, obviously believing they are doing something right, called on an Australian coach and his entourage a year ago to mould the team into a winning combination.

So far, however, Bennett King and his colleagues have not enjoyed any success, although the problems between the board and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) have contributed to the lack of success.

Chances are that as good and committed as they may be, they may never experience the kind of success the board is hoping for.

BEYOND COACHING

Apart from the fact that King and his countrymen were employed to work with the West Indies team, it is difficult, if not impossible to build from the top because the problems with West Indies cricket go beyond good coaching, or the lack of it.

The problems with West Indies cricket include the failure of the board to properly manage West Indies cricket and the players in the best interest of the game.

One of the reasons for the poor performances is the poor standard of first-class cricket in the region.

WEAK LEAGUES

One of the reasons for that is club cricket is poor and many players travel to England and the United States where they are paid to play.

Whereas nothing is wrong with a man trading his skills in an effort to earn money, most of these players end up in weak leagues, and do not develop as they should.

Most importantly, neither do the youngsters, who are left at home playing young and inexperienced players like themselves.

In the interest of West Indies cricket, something needs to be done about this particular problem.

This is where the West Indies and the territories in the West Indies can learn from Australia.

Unlike in the West Indies, where a player can represent the West Indies without playing in the regional tournament and a player can represent a territory without playing in the domestic competition, in Australia a player has to play in their domestic competition in order to be eligible to represent Australia.

Most Australians who play abroad do so in the United Kingdom and, unlike the West Indians who play abroad and return home whenever they like, based on an agreement between the Australia Cricket Board and the Players Association, players abroad must return home by September 30 every year or within three days of the conclusion of the U.K. season.

Those who fail to do so are fined 10 per cent of their retainer plus one day's pay of their annual salary for each additional day.

On top of that, players who play abroad have to contribute to the development of young cricketers in Australia.

FORGO INCOME

According to Tim May, chief executive officer, the Players Association, the association and its current membership are well aware of the need to fund adequate grassroots development.

"Players who play cricket overseas in our winter months forgo a predetermined percentage of their income. These amounts are quarantined and donated by the players back to club cricket development or a similar need as agreed by the players and administration of any particular state."

That, among other things, is the kind of control over the players West Indies cricket needs if it is ever to return to its glory.

That, however, cannot be even considered until West Indies cricket becomes truly professional and players are paid a salary and under contract to a professional league in the region.