Darren Sammy's captaincy and the unfinished quest for the return of national purpose

By Dr David Hinds This past week the West Indies cricket selectors named a new captain of the region’s team for Test cricket, which despite frequent obituaries remains the soul of the game. But the news was hardly about the new captain; it was more about the one who was fired -- Darren Sammy. Dr David Hinds is an Associate Professor of Caribbean and African Diaspora Studies at Arizona State University where he teaches Caribbean Popular Culture -- Music and Sports -- as Political Expression. More of his writings can be found on his website. This was inevitable, as Sammy is one of four significant captains in the almost nine decades of West Indies participation in Test Cricket -- the others being Frank Worrell, Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards. Note, I say significant; not best. What they all have had in common is that they assumed the captaincy and presided over the team at critical eras in Caribbean post-colonial history -- independence, black power and radical nationalism and globalization/structural adjustment. To get to what I am saying we have to go back to the appointment of Worrell in 1960 and, as CLR James would demand of us, extend our thoughts Beyond a Boundary. Worrell, the first black man to be named as the team’s full-time captain, assumed the captaincy on the eve of Caribbean Independence. Like his counterparts in other aspects of the Caribbean experience, Worrell had a dual task. First, to prove, contrary to the racist narrative that informed slavery and colonialism, that non-white formerly enslaved and colonized peoples could govern themselves and exist in a state of freedom. Second, having assumed the captaincy two years into the West Indies Federation, his was the task of welding the players from the various pre-nations into a collective national unit. That he succeeded on both counts was due not only to his own formidable personal talent, but, more significantly, he led a team of players who could marry their individual exploits to the independence expectations and aspirations of the Caribbean nation(s) which at the eve of independence included Caribbean integration and the quest for self government. Eric Williams’ “Massa day must done” had significant resonance for the Caribbean masses. Worrell retired in 1963. A decade later in the midst of a black consciousness and radical upsurge that swept the Caribbean, beginning with the so-called Rodney Riots in 1968, Clive Lloyd assumed the captaincy of the team. To understand the significance of Lloyd’s stint as captain and that of his successor, Vivian Richards, we must understand the forces that produced them and the teams they captained. Black power and radical Caribbean nationalism arose out of a desire to own and shape independence in the image of the Caribbean to be of service to the Caribbean peoples of all classes. For this generation, independence meant a radical break with the colonial praxis and the evolution of a revolutionary independence praxis based on ethno-racial and social equality and freedom. Having endured dehumanization of one sort or the other more than three centuries, independence could not mean anything short of total freedom. In effect, this radicalism challenged the reformist, neo-colonial praxis that had consumed most of the independence political and cultural elite. With physical shackles unlocked, the sons and daughters of the enslaved and indentured were obviously eager to fling them in the face of the former master, to paraphrase Martin Carter. This is the consciousness out of which emerged the Lloyd-Richards teams and which motivated them to turn the cricket field into a space of freedom production and conversation between players and nation and between players, as representatives of the nation, and those who still sought to stifle the new nation march. Like Worrell before them, Lloyd and Richards possessed tremendous leadership and cricketing skills, but their successes at the helm was dependent ultimately on the ability of the men they led to merge individualism with duty to and consciousness of the role of the team on the field and the larger one beyond the boundary. Cricket meant black power, anti-racism, anti imperialism, working class liberation and Caribbean integration/nationalism. These weapons informed a culture of triumph for approximately two decades -- the smallest and poorest cricketing nation conquering the cricketing world. Richards left the scene in 1991. By 1995, the West Indies team had surrendered the pride and glory of our nationhood. By then the radical nationalism of the 1970s and 1980s had given way to an era of anti-nationalism, which was premised on a sense that Caribbean independence was a colossal failure of nationhood. The Grenadian Revolution had self- destructed. Guyana had killed Walter Rodney, the prophet of self emancipation. Democratic socialism and cooperative socialism had given way to structural adjustment and globalization, which Professor Rex Nettleford called “a new name for an old obscenity”. Banana died at the hands of the global greed. High tech narco trade had infiltrated state and society. Education slid down the ladder of importance. Material crave became an end in itself. Conscious reggae and calypso was replaced by nursery-rhyme lyrics and jump and wave. The nation was floundering. In the absence of nation both as symbol and imagination, predictably the notion of individualism, as means and end, became normative. It is in this context that the leadership of the nine appointed captains (one appointed twice) from 1992 to 2010 and the tenth, Darren Sammy, from 20010-2014 should be analyzed and understood. During this period the region continued to produce some world-class individual stars, the most outstanding being the great Brian Lara. But unlike the stars of the two previous eras, the individuals could not marry their talents and exploits to the needs of the team inside the boundary and the nation beyond. That they could not achieve that pointed to an absence of national consciousness. One player, a part-time captain, pledged loyalty to his club team over that of his nation. One full-time captain of the Test team declared that he would not mind if Test cricket died. Another embarrassed the collective dignity by displaying a piece of paper in the wind, not to the oppressor but to a freedom fighter. Many other players only played for the nation when they were not playing for their clubs abroad. What is critical here is that half of the society, perhaps a majority, was sympathetic to and identified with this anti-national individualism as the normative present and future of the society at large. Therefore, for them, celebration of the collective was replaced by celebration of the individual player. In the absence of team glory, many became obsessed with the individual player either as good or evil -- us versus them. Many, including respected journalists repeated the untruth that Sammy’s captaincy divided the Caribbean. The Caribbean was divided long before Sammy’s captaincy between those who celebrated individualism as identity-choice and individual survival and those who critiqued unbridled individualism as a danger to the collective health of our Caribbean. It should be remembered that, when Sobers visited Rhodesia, he was forced to apologize to the nation and, when others went to South Africa, they were banished. Now, those who shun the nation are defended and celebrated, even by political leaders, and are rewarded with leadership. I am not excusing the players, but they are products of the state of play beyond the boundary. How can they play for a nation when they cannot imagine a nation? It is against this background that Darren Sammy assumed the captaincy in 2010. The nation faced disintegration not just from outside but from within. The independence solidarity and aspiration were dissolving. Sammy embodied the alternative to individualism and nationlessness. He represented hope for a shift away from recolonization. He was not going to turn his back on the people who still held out hope for the glory days. Like Worrell, Lloyd and Richards, Sammy was not appointed captain because of his cricketing skills, but rather because he was perceived to have the leadership qualities that were needed to meet the larger challenges of the moment. But unlike the others, his was not the task of leading a charge that gave voice and meaning to the larger quest for self-expression and freedom. Rather, he had the uphill task of leading a charge to halt the slide of West Indies cricket into oblivion. And, critically, unlike the others he did not have enough troops to fight the battle. But after four years, against great odds, he has had moderate success in reintroducing a sense of collectivism in the meaning of team. The individualist had returned to the fold. Glimpses of national passion were becoming less infrequent. The recent victory over Australia in the recent T20 World Cup was the most recent manifestation of this stir of the collective pride and spirit. Nevertheless, the return to glory was beyond his reach as it was for the nine captains who preceded him. That, I submit, will arise from a new national consciousness beyond the boundary. The understandable, simplistic explanation that Sammy cannot make the team on merit and thus impeded the team’s balance became a mantra. After repeating it for four years many came to believe it, while others became afraid of rejecting it as an explanation of the West Indies continued decline on the field of play. The logic seems to be that, with Sammy out of the way, there would be balance in the team and all players will be picked on merit and that would open the door to the team’s resurgence. The less said about such foolishness the better. Suffice to say, the teams between 1995 and 2007, when Sammy started to play, were supposedly balanced and everyone merited his place. Yet history shows us that the results were the same and worse in some instances. Ultimately Sammy’s tenure has exposed some uncomfortable truths about our Caribbean. In some quarters, he was otherized; the other who didn’t belong to us. On a popular meeting space, where some of our thinkers frequent, he was daily referred to as a “donkey” a “fraud,” a “scam” a “dotty”, the latter a reference to him being a “small-islander.” Those who know something about our history understand the origins of such self-hate. Now, the powers-that-be have succumbed to the logic, loudness and relentlessness of the silly crowd. The professed quest to return to the glory days is a long way from finished; it might have been dealt a setback. And the long silly season that started in 1995 continues, Dinesh Ramdin notwithstanding. Source: www.caribbeannewsnow.com

Sleek Boy Stan takes on the Law.

Jazz was over and the late-nighters had to find a watering hole to have a last lap. It reminds me of my school days at St Mary's College, during the Carnival season when we, 'de boyz and dem' would always look forward for Ash Wednesday when the revellers after partying so hard on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, used go and 'taway vaval.' That's when we would do our last lap mischiefs etc. A similar case may have occurred at Sleek Boy Stan's place.
The news of a minister's arrest went viral when the Tim disclosed the news, followed by the General Secretary of the SLP who called Newsspin to add clarity to the issue. Before he called many persons were in the 'no no' as to whom this minister was.
According to Leo, and trying to make light the issue, it was only a little music playing inside which did not even disturb the patrons in the place when an officer came in and asked Sleek Boy Stan to lower the music or turn it off since according to the officer the music was too loud. It must have been around 3:15 am Monday morning. Leo went on to inform Newsspin that an exchange of words ensued between the two and Sleek Boy Stan was arrested, taken to the Rodney Bay sub station and released some 15 minutes later.
Wow! It had to take the General Secretary of the Party to come to Sleek Boy Stan's defense? What is Winston Springer's job? Leo should have let this one pass for Springer. Is it in the SlP constitution that when ministers fall short of public expectations that the GS runs to his defense? Would Sleek Boy Stan be arrested if he had complied with the police request? Did Sleek Boy Stan use abusive language to the police officer? What was his demeanor at the time? Was he under the influence of alcohol? Why was he not charged? Was the police officer forced to drop the charge he intended to put on the minister? And the list of questions could go on and on.
The bottom line could be, the minister, in the company of his friends may have wanted to show-off and belittle the police officer. 'Don't you know who I am' and similar foolishness like that, may have spewed from his mouth. But the police taught him a lesson that he will never forget : ''He is not higher than the law.'' That must have been the longest fifteen minutes in his life.
I won't be surprised if the police officer who effected the arrest is being reprimanded by his superiors and higher officials. If my memory serves me well a certain officer working at the Soufriere police station suffered a horrible transfer after he refused to carry out the wishes of a certain parliamentary Rep over an issue where the latter wanted him to effect an arrest on a citizen and the former refused.
It clearly is an offence to play loud music after hours in a neighborhood and as a lawyer Sleek Boy Stan knows that. Persons have been charged and some instances or their equipment confiscated. Sleek Boy Stan got off lightly this time around. Oh how sweet it is to be a minister! An ordinary citizen may not be so lucky.
This is St Lucia where any shit passes.
St Lucia awaits his story.

St Lucia ministers called on to resign

By Caribbean News Now contributor CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Women in Action (WIA), the
women's arm of the opposition United Workers'
Party (UWP) in Saint Lucia, on Tuesday called for the
immediate resignation of Alvina Reynolds, minister
of health, wellness, human services and gender
relations, and Senator Victor La Corbiniere, minister of legal affairs, home affairs and internal security. According to the WIA, under Reynolds' watch there
have been serious breaches and gaps in the public
health systems and La Corbiniere continues to
ignore the serious crime situation in the country. However, UWP member of parliament and former
minister, Richard Frederick, took a different view,
saying that no minister should be made to resign
unless he or she has done something wrong that
can be substantiated with evidence. "Sometimes politicians see things as being
politically expedient for us to seek the resignation
of this minster and that minister. As to whether it is
in the interest of the country and the public is a
totally different scenario. In my humble view,
unless a minister has done something that can be substantiated with evidence, then I don't think that
a minister should be made to resign just on the
whims and fancies of an opposing party, and that
goes for everybody, not necessarily La Corbiniere,"
Frederick said. He referred to calls for his own resignation as a
minister and said, now that events are unfolding,
people realise that that there was no justification for
such a call. In March 2006, La Corbiniere unsuccessfully
contested the Castries Central seat as the St Lucia
Labour Party (SLP) candidate against Frederick. "He was one who took me to task, he was one who
said a lot of stuff about me but I do not see that he
should resign because of a request coming from
someone or a party that does not support him,"
Frederick said. Separately, former MP and agriculture minister in
the previous UWP government Ezechiel Joseph,
now party chairman, called somewhat
unrealistically for the resignation of the "entire
government". Melanius Alphonse, speaking on behalf of the
Lucian Peoples Movement (LPM) pointed out that
the parlous state of healthcare and crime in Saint
Lucia is one that predates both Reynolds and La
Corbiniere, although this does not exonerate either
of them for their "dismal performance and aimless management as seasoned professionals in the ir
respective fields". However, he added, the LPM concedes that the
management of both health care and crime has
become noticeably worse under the current SLP
government, while pointing out that the UWP under
its current leadership is at the same time trying to
distance itself as mere political expediency from all responsibility for the unfortunate position in which
the country finds itself today. "A lot of the blame for where Saint Lucia is today
rests on the shoulders of both parties, which have
allowed health care and crime to deteriorate to
levels that may be impossible to manage unless
there is a national consensus on how to effectively
root out crime and to secure Saint Lucia's porous borders, with all the tools available locally and
internationally," Alphonse said. He said the LPM believes the way forward for Saint
Lucia is through a national consultation on
healthcare and crime, which engages the entire
citizenry of the country in order to address
effectively those very serious concerns. In an earlier op-ed piece on April 3, 2014, (Health care in St Lucia), Alphonse focused on the demise of the Soufriere hospital, the challenge that already
exists to maintain other health facilities and now to
furnish the new hospital with modern equipment
and highly trained human resource in a competitive
marketplace. He also pointed to the sixteen policy positions and
six law enforcement and anti-crime measures
proposed by the LPM in an open letter to Dr Kenny Anthony, prime minister of Saint Lucia, on January 24, 2014. According to the WIA, a number of unexplained
deaths have occurred at public health facilities in
Saint Lucia and the results of investigations have yet
to materialize despite promises made by Reynolds. "Contagious diseases such as chikungunya are
rampant while the minister has failed to inform the
citizens of the extent of this epidemic, which is
widespread, nor has she bothered to embark on
any public education campaign," the WIA said,
apparently ignorant of the fact that chikungunya is not a contagious disease but a viral infection similar
to dengue fever spread by the Aedes aegypti
mosquito. "The forensic laboratory remains comatose without
proper technical staff and the minister is now
callously asking aggrieved citizens to seek recourse
through the civil courts in cases where citizens died
whilst in custody of the state. Minister La Corbinere
is oblivious to the many victims of rape and families of victims of murder, who crave emotional relief
and closure, by ensuring that all investigative
services, especially forensic, are functioning
properly and efficiently," the WIA continued. However, Alphonse responded that, unless there is
a willingness to accept the need for an over arching
national strategy in saving the country, calls for the
resignation of Reynolds and La Corbiniere are likely
to
be "absolutely meaningless."

Source: www.caribbeannewsnow.com

Did Sammy Quit or Axed?

Darren Sammy has formally notified the West Indies
Cricket Board of his decision to retire from Test
cricket. Sammy has also informed the Board of his
decision to continue to make himself available for
selection for the other formats of the game.
While he is well-liked and a respected figure,
Sammy often batted low down the order in Test
cricket and his medium-pace bowling was much
less effective than in shorter forms of the game. That raised some critics to question whether the St
Lucian merited a place in the team despite generally
positive views of his influence as captain. Sammy averaged 21.68 with the bat and made only
one Test century, while he took 84 Test wickets at
an average of 35.79. He led his side to eight Test
wins, 12 losses and 10 draws.
Ramdin replaces Darren Sammy in the wake of leaving the post
but will continue to skipper the Windies Twenty20
team. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ramdin has played 56 Tests
for his country and had served as Sammy's vice-
captain before being appointed to the top job. His first assignment will be the home series against
New Zealand beginning on June 8.

No Boxing In Paradise, Time To Box In Choiseul/Choiseul!

I have never in my entire life following Budget debates witness such obsession by a member of parliament in Government with a past minister. Read between the lines.
Inspite of not having Cable Tv service during the debate and Radio St Liar intermitently oning, offing and at times a horrible reception, I must have been blessed to be able to catch the last 15 mins of our Rep's presentation. "Honorable member, you have fifteen minutes left." the Speaker informed Choiseul's Parliamentary Rep. As if taken by surprised and hoping that he would be graced with more time by the suspension of an Order, he remarked, "Thank you" whether he was granted the extension or not this blog is unable to confirm this. Radio St Liar just cut off, this time with whizzing sound of a cricket, again! Reception was resumed in about 30 seconds.
Here is the Rep's take, in point form. The full 15 speech on Choiseul/Saltibus will be posted in due time.
The Rep said:
1. He has a formidable team on the ground that is committed. They assist,critisize him as needs be.
2. Over 30 projects were completed in Choiseul/Saltibus in 2013/14.
3. There is $18m for the constituency Development Program of which Choiseul/Saltibus will benefit.
4.The Esperance road to be opened in two weeks time.
5. Road works are ongoing at Morne Jacques presently.
6. Road leading into Piaye completed
7. Road rehabilitation of Piaye/Saltibus is ongoing.
8. The Fiette, Daban and Jetrine roads to be started soon.
9. The mongouge community Centre to be opened soon with an IT program geard towards the young people.
10. The Roblot and Piaye Community centes to be built this fiscal year.
11. thank Ministry of Foreign affairs for the batch of fertilizer for the farmers.
12. To upgrage the Piaye playing filed to a first class avenue - lighting and resurfacing
13. Attention will be given to the Choiseul Secondary school.
14.Work has been done on Saltibus Primary School, but more will be done
15. The plight of the fishermen in the village will be addressed. Talks to be held with the fishermen.
This Lorne's vision for Choiseul/Saltibus 2014/15.
This blog as had mentioned previously that the Rep is on his third strike and needs to be focussed least he strikes OUT.
It has been said that a politicians promise is a comfort to a fool. Let's hope this politician proves this old adage wrong.
ROBLOT, DABAN, FIETTE, JETRINE, PIAYE and the FISHERMEN are PRAYING and HOPING that the REP is a MAN of his WORD.
There is abosolutely no time for Lorne to to go boxing in Paradise or even going to Dubai. Its time to start throwing punches in Choiseul/Saltibus. Oh, how blessed Choiseulians would be see Lorne's BOXING RING in Constituency.
All eyes are on you Mr REP..........time to deliver.

Will Lorne Score On Strike Three?

Well, another song will be sung come the week of May 27th and all ears nationwide will be peeled, and all eyes glued to radios and TVs respectively to find out what genre of music will this group of musicians play on the political stage. It can be anything from Soca to folk, or reggae to a requiem. Whatever genre it may be, there is a lot of suspicion that the music might not be soothing to the ear drums and the blockage of the eustacian tube may very well cause Lucians to gasp in Awe.
The Choiseul/Saltibus Constituents are all hyped up to hear what good is in this year's budget for them. The Rep himself must be aware that he must come good this time around - roads, public facilities, the fishing complex problem, the elderly, the youth and jobs are some of the issues the constituents will want to hear about I'm sure.
Lorne's promises during the first two budget presentations have fallen flat on its face - Where is the playing field for the Tet Morne girls? Where is the lighting for the La Fargue playing field? Where is the communty centre for Dar Ban? Where is the starting of the Mini stadium with the $400,000 left over in 2011? What has the Constituency Council achieved? What have been done for the arts and craft workers - Lapointe, Mongouge, Debreuil Caffiere just to mention a few? What is in the pipeline for the many unemployed youth - projects, programs and the litany goes on.
One will recall the very first statement by the Rep in last year's budget debate was he would make it his duty to be present more frequently in the constituency. This blog wrote about this and not to forget the big issue made by Pierre and Dalson about making excuses for the Rep's poor frequency in his constituency - how he is the tourism minister and have to be away and how if he has to sacrifice Choiseul for the country, well so be it and nuff blah blah.
Also at this convention at the La fagure community Centre the Rep took swipes a his opponents and allegedly his recent campaign manager, whom it is widely speculated brought him (rep) home. The Rep went as far as to say, " I will deal with them."
A renouned local blogger in his response to the Rep's threat wrote this, "You express a fair view or begin a new initiative aimed at national or constituency development, and you have political "engineers" not just excoriating, but grossly misinterpreting you in political forums. You also have your own Parliamentary Representative cowardly "jete-ing pawol" at a constituency conference for you. But I guess our honorable legislators under the constitution are guaranteed the same fundamental rights and freedoms as their constituents. The only problem is I find, is some of them seem to spend more time "being angry" at their parliamentary subjects that "representing" them."
This has been Lorne's hallmark of representation over the past two budget cycles, plus his noted absentism in the constituency.
He has had two strikes (budgets) and in all fairness needs a third strike to be in or out. One would hope that he focusses well enough, though he may not have 20/20 vision, to make sure he hits the right notes to make melody to the ears of his constituents this time around.
The Estimate of Revenue and Expenditure for 2014/2015 will be laid in the House on April 29,2014 and will be debated from 2:00pm the same day and continuing on the next day. The Governor General will read her throne speech on May 6, 2014, while the budget address by Dr Anthony will be delivered on May 13, 2014 and the debate scheduled for 15 and 16 May, 2014.
In closing, the Roblot Community awaits with bated breath to hear sweet music to their ears come April 29 or 30.
Mr Rep, please, do not let them down, and by extension the constituency.

BUDGET DATES ANNOUNCED

The Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the
financial year 2014/2015, will be laid in the
House of Assembly on Tuesday, April 29, 2014.
Debate on the Estimates will be preceded by a
meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the
House at 10.00a.m., the same day, April 29, 2014. The debate on the Estimates will commence at
2.00p.m. that afternoon and continue into the
next day, April 30, 2014, at 10.00a.m. The Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure will be
laid in the House in accordance with section 79(1)
of the Constitution of Saint Lucia, SI 1978 No.
1901. The traditional Throne Speech will be delivered by
Her Excellency, Dame Pearlette Louisy, Governor
General, on Tuesday, May 06, 2014, at 11.00a.m.
This will be followed by the Budget Address by
the Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs, National
Development and Social Security, Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony, on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at
5.00p.m.. The debate on the Budget Statement
will take place on May 15 and 16, 2014.