by Ezra Stuart

LET'S BE PROACTIVE!

Barbadians should forget the emotionalism after last Friday's KFC Cup semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago was abandoned because of a soggy and unsafe outfield at the Three Ws Oval.

It is futile crying over spilt milk about reserve days when administrators didn't realise they could have been accommodated in the Final Four playing conditions by changing the match days to Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The local authorities are not blameless either as the necessary drying agents weren't used to expedite mopping up operations and improve conditions after the mechanical water hog broke down.

Whereas locals wanted to see the Bajans play under the lights and probably avenge the recent losses to the Trinis, neutral umpires don't operate on sentiment.

Six years ago I commented on a similar situation in an article Hole In The Bowl in the Carib Cricket Circle. "Why is it that for three successive years, teams which gained a semi-final berth, were eliminated without losing their semi-final match?

"This should not happen. Yet it appears, the respective territorial boards are too timid to let the WICB know that it must come up with a better way to decide who go through to the final should rain wash out a semi-final match.

"Certainly, calculations determining run-rates for teams playing in different countries should not be the criteria since teams would not have been exposed to the same conditions and opponents.

"For example, a team playing in what is perceived to be a weaker zone may have a better run-rate than another in a tougher zone. In a nutshell, why should a team which earned a semi-final spot through performance be eliminated without taking the field?"

Today, the same tune is being sung and maybe next year the chorus will be repeated unless the unsatisfactory playing conditions are altered.

Some who are crying foul now should have sympathised with The St Michael School and Queen's College boys, who endured similar disappointment when the Cable & Wireless Under-15 semi-finals were rained out.

The unbeaten Barbados Under-19 team were also denied a place in the TCL One-Day final because of an inappropriate rule regarding their position in the preceding three-day competition. Has the BCA or the WICB done anything since to ensure these situations don't occur again? Let's bowl the first ball with a pre-tournament congress for managers, coaches, captains and umpires to discuss rules and playing conditions!