WHY is Cricket West Indies tampering with history by renaming the only regional entity that has truly united us for more than a century? Sure, you can go ahead and tinker with the name of the governing body, changing it from the West Cricket Board to Cricket West Indies, although that won’t change most people’s perception of that divisive organisation. But the team that has represented us through such highs and lows for all these years shouldn’t have its name altered just for some marketing ploy.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) decided, all on its own, that the one and only West Indies cricket team will from here on be referred to as “Windies”. And it is yet to offer a logical and feasible explanation for going down that road Fifty years from now, when someone looks up “Windies”, will they also be able to access information on the glory years of West Indies cricket leading up to this inane name change, when some of the greatest cricketers to ever don flannels made all West Indians proud and, no matter where we were in the world,
we could all say we’re from the West Indies, birthplace of Garfield Sobers, Frank Worrell, Vivian Richards, Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara and all the other many gladiators who battled on our behalf against opponents from England, India, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe?
With this very arbitrary decision, a ruling body which is at odds with almost every prime minister and leader in the West Indies, has found yet another way to alienate itself and raise the ire of fans. Here in T&T, respected cricket commentator and Express columnist Fazeer Mohammed wrote of the rebranding: “…It just comes across as disrespecting of a legacy of great deeds and great heroes of the game who made the West Indies standard-bearers for excellence, intensity, flair and passion in a manner that has made us the equivalent of Brazil in football—everybody’s favourite team after their own.”
Former West Indies vice-captain Deryck Murray stated: “It shouldn’t have been tampered with. I don’t see why they would try to mask the history and the legacy of the teams, the players and so many individuals who are really pioneers of where the West Indies got to at the pinnacle of cricket. It (the name) should stay there for people to aspire to that.”
Bryan Davis, one-time West Indies opening batsman, said: “I’m not happy with it. The name of the region is the West Indies and Windies is a short derivation of the actual West Indies.”
Referring to “Windies”, Mr Davis exclaimed: “Where in the world is that? Where is the Windies? Who are we playing for? The name of the team must be West Indies. You can’t be a West Indian playing for the Windies. What are you, a ‘Windian’?”
Such a major change should have only come about based on feedback from the players and supporters of West Indies cricket, and not on the flippant whims and fancies of a few individuals who are not exactly the most popular personalities in the region.
It is not too late to revert to the tried and trusted and CWI officials would do well to rethink this move.
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