NAGICO-LICA Cricket One Day Tournament
Cricket Commentator Warns Teams About Complacency
By Rawle Nelson
In Photo seated left to right: NAGICO's Marketing Manager, Jasmine Payne; NAGICO's Managing Director, Mr. Eric Ellis; President of LICA, Mr. Gregory Shillingford and President of the St. Kitts Cricket Association, Mr. Ingleton Liburd.
A popular sports commentator has issued a stern advice to participating teams in the 2008 Leeward Islands NAGICO Sponsored One Day tournament. Grenadian born Rodney Baptiste said that while i8n the Leeward Islands they are only about three powerhouses referring to Antigua, St Kitts and Nevis they should understand that cricket is not about who are regarded as powerhouses but rather who has the will, determination, discipline and stamina to withhold the pressures of winning a tournament.
"In the game of cricket they have and will continue to be upsets and surprises as that is why the sport is regarded to as the game of glorious uncertainties," Baptiste said. He noted that all the teams should put their best foot forward regardless of how they are viewed stating that a team that is not regarded as a powerhouse can win the tournament.
"The competiting teams must understand that they cannot afford to take anything for granted," the sports commentator who has been living and working in St Kitts for a number of years said. " Going out taking things teams and things for granted is certainly suicidal and in this day and age we have to understand that underestimating a team is not the right approach," he stressed.
"Don't take anything for granted, you are going to have to play well on the day, irrespective of how many "recognized or hard-hitting" players that you may have in your final 11. What teams need to now is that each player needs to play his part in ensuring victory for their team and too many times we depend upon two or three players for everything," he said.
Baptiste who has been commentating for several years said that complacency is one of the critical issues that team management heeds to address as there seems to be a culture where players are becoming more complacent.
Baptiste added, "if a team that is regarded as a powerhouse turns up and performs below par then a team that is seen as a small "fish" will certainly whip them. Therefore it is important that all teams take each game seriously thus propelling their team's chances of winning their game" .
Baptiste reiterated his call for teams contesting this year's competition to seriously address the issue of complacency noting that the level of the sport will only increase with commitment and the will power to win.