Series not a hit

The West Indies, here for their first official One-Day series in North America as part of the DMC Toronto Cricket Festival, are unlikely to be asked to return.

Judging by the turnout at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, the interest among the resident Caribbean community in Toronto is far less than expected.

They came in their tens, rather than hundreds, for the first two matches against India over the weekend so that the ground was well short of its 4000 capacity.

Such apathy is matched by television companies back home.

Trinidadian company TV6 is the only station in the West Indies to buy secondary rights for the tournament from the New York-based Kelly Broadcasting. But it was unable to broadcast the first two matches because of technical problems.

The International Management Group (IMG) hastily drafted in the West Indies for the tournament when India refused to play Pakistan in the annual Sahara Cup because of their border clashes last month over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

The Sahara Cup was initiated in 1996 as a television event for broadcast back to the massive viewing public on the Indian subcontinent where political tensions between India and Pakistan were such that they could not play in each other?s country.

Andrew Wildblood, an executive with IMG, hinted prior to the festival that it could prove a precursor to further tournaments in North America.

With the co-operation of the West Indies Cricket Board, we have brought together the three international teams most relevant to the expatriate populations in this part of the world,? he said.

The opportunity may or may not present itself in the future. It is going to be interesting to watch how it unfolds,? he added.

I hugely hope, and expect, that we get the support of the West Indies? crowd, and ticket sales are indicating that we will.?

It has so far been a false hope.

The feeling among long-time West Indian residents close to Canadian cricket is that uncertainty over whether the tournament would come off at all is one reason why their attendance has been so low at the opening matches.

It was only confirmed two weeks ago and publicity has apparently been minimal in the ethnic media.

This no longer stands as an excuse. Both matches have been well covered in the national and ethnic Press and radio and a better judgement can be made in the three matches against Pakistan.

While India missed the most attractive players through injury, notably captain Sachin Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja, Pakistan will be at full strength following the reinstatement of their captain, Wasim Akram, now cleared of match-fixing charges.

The series against India, level 1-1, ends today with the decisive match. After two perfect, sunny days, the rain set in over Toronto yesterday, preventing practice for either team, but the forecast is for an improvement overnight.

The West Indies have experimented with various combinations in the first two matches but, with CAN$20 000 winner-take-all and the DMC Cup on the line today, the best XI should take the field.

The question at the moment is who comprise the best XI and what should there positions be?

If there is one obvious answer it is that captain Brian Lara has no right going in at No. 5, as he did in the first two matches.

He is the hub of the batting around whom everything turns. By the time he came in, both on Saturday and Sunday, Chris Gayle was already out and the innings was faltering.

It is glaringly obvious that the most advantageous introduction for a 19-year-old on his first appearance in international cricket is to find his captain and the game?s finest batsman at the opposite end when he arrives.

Whoever plays and whoever bats where, Lara has to take the responsibility of moving up a place, or even two.

Languishing down the list, he is only putting pressure on his team and denying teammates the value of his example.