Tony Becca
Ever since June 23, 1928, when George Francis bowled the first delivery for the West Indies at Lord's on the opening day of their first Test match, ever since that day when, with Learie Constantine and Herman Griffith in the line-up and they played three fast bowlers in the team, the West Indies attack, but for a few years here and there, have always been pace, more pace and, sometimes, nothing but pace.
The only times it was anything but pace were in the early to mid-1950s when Sonny Ramadhin and Alfred Valentine, two 20-year-olds, those two little pals of mine, dominated the West Indies attack; and in the 1960s when Lance Gibbs, otherwise known as 'Toothpick', either ruled the roost or shared it.
Apart from Ram and Val, the right-hander and the left-hander who were known as the 'Spin Twins', and apart from Gibbs, West Indies cricket has been dominated by pace - apart from Constantine and Griffith, by people like Manny Martindale, Roy Gilchrist and Wes Hall, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Colin Croft, Wayne Daniel, Sylvester Clarke, Malcolm Marshall and Patrick Patterson, Ian Bishop, Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh.
Even though, from time to time and, more so in recent times, spin bowlers have dominated regional cricket, the life of a spin bowler in West Indies cricket is rough, so rough that even when he out-bowls pace bowlers, he is, most times, out after one match.
According to those who decide who plays and who does not play, according to the selectors and also former coach Bennett King, West Indian spin bowlers are not good enough for Test cricket.
Because of that, while ordinary bowlers who bowl fast and without success are selected time and time again, promising spin bowlers are in and out. In comparison to the number of fast bowlers who have represented the West Indies in recent times, there are a number of spin bowlers who have played one or two Test matches.
One reason why, despite the history of pace bowling in West Indies cricket, it appears that pace bowlers are better for West Indies cricket is simply the difference in the treatment - in the development process of pace bowlers and spin bowlers.
In the West Indies pace bowlers are tried, and tried, and tried again and again and are afforded every opportunity to develop their skills and to get accustomed to the atmosphere of Test cricket.
Pushed aside and ignored
Although it is acknowledged around the world that spin bowling takes a long time to master (much longer than pace bowling), in the West Indies, spin bowlers are treated like lepers and the result is that they are pushed aside and ignored.
Spin bowlers are certainly not blessed with 'godfathers' and because of that, they are not afforded the luxury of time to develop their skills, much less to get accustomed to the atmosphere and to the pressure of the game at the highest level.
Those who doubt the special treatment to pace bowlers, those who do not believe that spin bowlers are treated like orphaned cousins, have only to look at the regional Carib Beer Series and then at the trophies and cash prizes for individual performances.
There is the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy and a cash prize of US$1,500 for the top batsman. There is the Courtney Walsh Award and a cash prize of US$1,500 for the top bowler.
There is the Clive Lloyd Award and a cash prize of US$1,500 for the top fielder; the Malcolm Marshall Award and a cash prize of US$1,500 for the top all-rounder and the Deryck Murray Award and a cash prize of US$1,500 for the top wicketkeeper.
In the interest of West Indies cricket, in remembering the past greats of West Indies cricket, nothing is wrong with that.
While the top batsman will be deter-mined by the number of runs scored, while the top bowler will be determined by the number of wickets of taken, while the top fielder will be determined by the number of catches taken, and while the question must be asked as to how the top all-rounder will be selected, or more so how the top wicketkeeper will be selected, there is one other question which must be asked.
There is also an award and a cash prize, the Andy Roberts Award and US$1,500, going to the most promising fast bowler, and apart from asking how is that going to be decided, there is one other question which must be asked.
Persona non grata
Why is it that there is an award, a cash prize for the most promising fast bowler, and nothing, not even a cent, for the most promising batsman, not so much as a cent for the most promising fielder, and not so much as a cent for the most promising wicketkeeper, but more so for the most promising spin bowler?
The answer is simple.
Although all the other teams, who are above the West Indies and who, most of them, have better pace bowlers than the West Indies are employing one or two spin bowlers, even though, because of the lack of good spin bowlers in the region, West Indies batsmen are sitting ducks against good spin bowlers and especially so on pitches that suit them, it is because spin and spin bowlers are persona non grata in the West Indies.
Spin and spin bowlers are not encouraged in the West Indies even though the pace bowlers around are generally no better than ordinary and are going nowhere. Apart from the attitude of the selectors, both those who select squads and those who select the 11, captains cannot set a field for spin bowlers and therefore cannot captain spin bowlers.
A few days ago, India defeated Australia at Perth and they did so, probably, because Australia went into the match, on the fastest pitch in the world, with four fast bowlers and not one specialist spin bowler.
India, banking on a balanced attack, despite playing on the fastest pitch in the world, went in with three pacers and Anil Kumble - the right-arm leg-spinner who shared six wickets with part-time off-spinner Virender Sehwag on a pitch tailor-made for fast bowlers.
