#BTSpeakingOut – Glorious uncertainties

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by Rollins Howard

“Cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties”.

I do not know who was the originator of this phrase but it certainly is one of the greatest truisms of all time.

When we consider the many occasions on which we have had reason to use this phrase it is no wonder that we are steadfast in our belief in it.

We can readily call to mind the unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 274 by Garry Sobers and David Holford in the second Test in the 1966 series in England, or Brian Lara’s breathtaking undefeated and match-winning 153 in the third Test against Australia in March 1999 at The Mecca, Kensington Oval, or the heroics of Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose in the one-off Test against South Africa which welcomed them back to Test cricket in April 1992, again at The Mecca – Ambrose 6/34, Walsh 4/31.

These memories of the glorious uncertainties of the game help to give me hope that the West Indies will be able to successfully defend their ICC T20 World Cup title later this month.

Like many other loyal West Indies cricket fans, I have had to register my doubts about the team selection and the strange logic propounded by the selectors.

What I find interesting is the consistency of the selectors’ reasons for their choices.

When we went to the ICC 50-Over World Cup in 2019 the selectors included Andre Russell with the full knowledge that he had not fully recovered from yet another injury but they claimed that he was their “X Factor” and would be the shock surprise of the tournament.

True to form Russell broke down after four games and took no further part in the on-field activities. The only shock would have been to the selectors. Two years later we embark on another ICC World Cup and on this occasion Chris Gayle (The Universe Boss) is the “Fear Factor”.

No one can dispute that Chris Gayle is a legend in the T20 game but it is high time that he realises that a legend is also a synonym for a myth and that it is better to be remembered for what he did than for what he failed to do.

Messrs Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Russell have asserted that The Universe Boss will strike fear in the hearts of their opponents, having apparently already struck fear in the hearts of the selectors, and it is at this juncture that I am forced to rely on the glorious uncertainties of the game for comfort.

As a true West Indies supporter, I hope that Gayle, having now recuperated after his recent exertions, will unleash some unholy terror from his blade and cause considerable mayhem in the ranks of our opponents.

That indeed is my fervent prayer which I hope will be answered by the powers above since I really hate to place all my eggs in the basket of the uncertain glories of the game and depend on the glorious uncertainties to bail me out.