Sir Hilary Beckles Book Launch: 'Cricket without a cause', L

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MarcusGarveyLives
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howzdat
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By the title this sounds like a retrospective on a bygone era that ended in the nineties ... or perhaps Sir Hilarious has put together a study on what has led to the current demise and come up with a blueprint for the team to turn the much talked about corner. But rather than be accused once again of spamming I better go check the link and get my facts right. Thanks Marcus for sharing the link ..
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The record of West Indies international cricket is extraordinary. At one time they dominated all three formats of international cricket and seemed invincible.
Then it all fell apart and the collapse of such a great cricketing nation has been considered a mystery in the annals of modern sport and popular performance culture.
BFUWI and the Ramphal Institute are pleased to announce the launch of 'Cricket without a Cause: the fall and rise of the mighty West Indies test cricketers' by Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies who is himself a cricketer and former Director of the West Indies Cricket Board. He is the founder and director of the Centre for Cricket Research at the UWI. In this work he analyses the sources of this dramatic fall from grace and argues that the process of re-building has begun.
The event is kindly sponsored by Jamaica National Bank.
Sir Hilary will speak about his book and take questions from the audience. The book launch will be followed by a reception.
This event is free but you can also make a donation and support a UWI hardship fund for students from islands which have been ravaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria as well as school children and families on the ground whose homes, schools and lives have been destroyed. We will focus particularly on Barbuda, Dominica and the Leeward islands which have suffered complete devastation. Sir Hilary will also donate royalties from any books sold at this event to the fund and his publisher will donate 20% of sales made on the night to the relief effort.
Members of the press
Sir Hilary Beckles is available for interview during the day on Thursday 28th. Please contact admin@thebfuwi.org if you wish to request an interview.
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howzdat
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Apologies for being pedantic (as is often the case) but I imagine that if I were in the "before party" of the book launch I would be making notes to ask Sir Hilary which three cricket formats West Indies "was once dominant in"? Further, as hinted at in my first post, how far back in time does one really have to go to gain a realistic and credible insight on the factors contributing this ongoing slump in West Indies cricket fortunes?

Granted every author has the right to frame their work in terms serving their own aims, so as an opinionated, cricket-loving supporter of the so-called West Indies I wonder if the thrust of this book leaves Sir Hilary open to accusations of once again talking at those who are either ill-informed or prefer to follow hyperbole rather than do their own research. Or maybe one has to be of a certain vintage to know that this 'three format dominance' blather is not only dubious but is also way too recent for a sincere cricket lover to gain a useful insight into the wider causes behind the ongoing demise of the West Indies cricket team.

It is because his utterances often lead me to having thoughts like this that I have long since have dubbed Beckles as Sir Hilarious, Good luck to him. This is the same man who regarding Chris Gayle has flip-flopped shamelessly between referring to him as a "Dudus" type character at one time; and another as a people's champion - come to think of it in today's society there may well be no real contradiction in doing so - however it is clear to me that Beckles knows good how to bat like a Politrickster.

Anyway, I hope that the event will be well attended and whoever turns up will feel it worth their while.
MarcusGarveyLives
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Beckles considers it the most important book he has attempted to write, since it deals with the future of the people of the Caribbean, rather than just cricket.
This is the same man who regarding Chris Gayle has flip-flopped shamelessly between referring to him as a "Dudus" type character at one time; and another as a people's champion - come to think of it in today's society there may well be no real contradiction in doing so - however it is clear to me that Beckles knows good how to bat like a Politrickster.
There is no contradiction - Dudus Coke - and others like him - are indeed considered as champions by those who consider them to be so. They provide more to such people than a structurally adjusted state which is instead considered to be 'the enemy'. Beckles' book is concerned in part with a how Caribbean society created a generation of young men with such a mindset who preferred to be Stars rather than Heroes.

He believes that West Indies cricket can rise to the top for a fourth time and that a cadre of young men has started to develop who can replace 'the Lara-Gayle paradigm' and reconnect with the past leadership of men like Lloyd and Richards.

The book is a wide-ranging piece of work.
MarcusGarveyLives
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"Sir Hilary Beckles was in an optimistic, even ebullient, mood when he addressed fans, friends and associates of West Indian cricket at King’s College, London last month ..."

Interview: Sir Hilary Beckles - 'Better must come for WI' (click for more)
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