A RESPECTED JOURNALIST and former institutional colleague of mine, Don Norville (now deceased), once said to me: "Never write about serious issues when you are angry."

Yet, many of us do at times, which can result in blurred vision and errors in judgement - just because of how mad or sad we may feel about a particular matter at that time. With this in mind, I just couldn't publicly comment on the state of West Indies cricket until now.

Like most West Indians, I carry that passion for cricket. So, like the majority, I felt bad, mad and sad about what was and still is happening to our cricket, in terms of performances and administration and the general attitude of our cricketers to the game we all so dearly love.

All this has resulted in the dollar, or the love for it, replacing principle, common sense and simply applying the basics.

The team - "together again" - have left the Caribbean and I feel more comfortable to express my feelings at this time; this is not to say that my feelings have changed.

However, I will restrict them to the captaincy, or maybe I should say the reappointed captain Chris Gayle, who, in my view, is the worst on-field captain I have ever seen at Test cricket or even first-class level.

Having grown up around the Empire Cricket Club more than 50 years ago, I certainly cannot recall seeing as motionless or as uninspiring a captain at the top level of cricket as Gayle.

Maybe those few who openly play with and publicly support him as their captain can tell us what are these specialties that he has that the rest of us don't know and cannot see, unless, of course, the rest of us are all overcome by an optical illusion.

Hear Gayle on the eve of his departure for the Australia tour.

"It's my job. I'm very passionate about doing my job in whatever area as a player. You might see it in a different expression, like how [Dwayne] Bravo would get a wicket and the type of celebration he would do . . . . You might not see on the outside but deep down inside [it's there]."

He further said: "As a captain, you have to have that sort of extra drive towards the players, but whenever it is work time everybody is aware of that and knows of the situation."

Are you for real, Chris?

Now, is it what Gayle has said, or what he hasn't?

For by no stretch of the imagination can Gayle be considered a reliable batsman, furthermore an on-the-field tactician, neither verbally nor in his body language.

How does he communicate with his players, by telepathy?

Admittedly, the West Indies Cricket Board finds itself with a cupboard devoid of cricket leaders, hence Gayle had to be reinstated. Only God knows how much longer this episode will continue to play itself out.

Like most West Indians, I pray for that cricket miracle: Gayle and his boys triumphing over Ponting and his men in the Australian summer of 2009.

But then again, the Australians may be praying that there might be another thrashing of the boys in maroon.

So, whether we turn off the television, the radio, or refuse to read the sport pages if things are not going our team's way, it is still our team.

Let's pray for that miracle!

- REGGIE HUNTE JR.