Latest update March 19th, 2024 12:05 AM
Sep 21, 2014 Sports
Colin E. H. Croft
If Sylvia Croft was alive now, was still of fertile age and had had the last of four children; me; six years ago, she would probably have spent the rest of her life in jail after that, based on today’s laws about child abuse. Most parents back then would have accompanied her there too. The jails would be full!
No child born in the Caribbean around 1950/60’s, especially if male, survived without the regular proverbial beatings that have been prominently displayed recently on televisions in USA.
The National Football League – Grid Iron Football – is so up in arms; no pun intended; about a guy ‘sharing licks’ on his son, that one wonders if they are not just trying to protect their image, after probably being caught off-guard about so many other nefarious happenings involving their star players.
The only major problem was that the beaten boy was just four years old. No four year old knows what “bad” is. But I doubt that there are any West Indian males my age, 61/62, from maybe age six to almost graduating from high school, who could not describe those beatings in great sordid details!
If, while in primary school, we had done something to get a few strokes from the head-masters’ or head-mistresses’ canes, then stupidly went home to explain the episodes to ‘the old people’, you were almost guaranteed a beating at home too: “If sir beat you, you must have do something wrong!” More blows!
Even Dr. William Crosby – Bill – in his one-man stand-up HBO show a decade ago, admitted that his parents beat him, just as was done by Minnesota Vikings’ star running back Adrian Peterson to his son.
Bill Crosby, me, many other sons of that time too, have one thing in common. As licks rained from all angles, we regularly heard the dirge: “I made you, so I can kill you!” They really tried hard to do so too!
I am fortunate. I have two now adult off-springs, but at no time have I had the cause to discipline them with whip or belt. Perhaps they were too frightened of me; “big pussycat” as they called me; or maybe respected me so much that outside of the standard cautionary word, nothing untoward happened.
But kids are still being beaten everywhere. The massive question is this: Do they warrant the beatings, or are parents to allow them to run roughshod over everybody and everything? That is not an easy one!
Speaking about blows and severe lickings, Bangladesh suffered terribly at the hands of WI in that last series. We all know that WI should always beat the Tigers, but that shellacking, especially in the 2nd Test, in St. Lucia, was almost distasteful, so shockingly cricket poor were our recent visitors.
They disintegrated from a very promising 158-2, after being set an improbable 489 to win, to be all out for 192, losing eight wickets for thirty four runs, in just nineteen overs. The innings was so shambolic. Yet, it was not totally Bangladesh’s players fault. They have not played a Test series since last February!
Shivnarine Chanderpaul eventually got his 30th Test century, in 158 Tests, now with a Test aggregate of 11,684 runs; average 53.10, after his much maligned 85 no. in Test No. 1. So, he is only 269 runs behind Brian Lara’s total of 11,953 runs, in 131 Tests, average 52.88, as the biggest run getter for West Indies.
With three Tests v India soon, then another three Tests against South Africa coming back to back after those in India, it is only a matter of time before our “Tiger” breaks that runs scoring record for WI too!
Chanderpaul has certainly beaten Bangladesh terribly in his last six innings v his namesake Tigers; to be only once out, for one, while the other scores were 151 no., 203 no., 85 no., 84 no., and 101 no.
Interestingly, one aspect to emerge from last week’s 2nd Test, WI’s 500th, was that always invigorating challenge of selecting the best WI team ever, from 1948 to now, eleven from three hundred players who have played Tests for WI. Ironically, but expectedly, no two teams by any two people were the same!
More particularly, almost all selected teams included Sir Vivian Richards, Lara, even Sir Everton Weekes, but, wonder upon wonders, no Chanderpaul, except when the selectors were from the South American mainland. Who exactly would like to see Chanders bat instead of Lara or Sir Viv?
Courtney Walsh, once WI captain, now selector, with 519 Test wickets, most by a West Indian, does not make many teams either. Sir Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall, Sir Wes Hall, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts or Mike Holding make up most bowling teams with Lance Gibbs and Sir Gary Sobers.
Most of those names emanated from an era when West Indies actually did beat the entire world too!
To celebrate 500th Tests, WI captain Denesh Ramdin led for first his Test series win, beating Bangladesh 2-0. Let us hope that the beatings continue when WI meet India next, then South Africa. Enjoy!
Listen to the man that is throwing Guyanese bright future away
Mar 18, 2024
From GT to New Jersey… Kaieteur Sports – There have been many pugilists who have excelled in the fistic sport, retired, and subsequently successfully ventured into other meaningful...Kaieteur News – The government has embarked on an ambitious infrastructure development spree. It has initiated major... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – In 2024, a series of general elections in Latin American countries, including... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]