THE 2019 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has come and gone. For Guyanese, it was a bitter-sweet experience. After playing unbeaten for the entire tournament, the Guyana Amazon Warriors unexpectedly crashed to defeat in the game that mattered most—the final. Not for the first time, the team lifted the hopes of their Guyanese fans, only to drop the proverbial ball in the final stages. The Warriors have now justifiably earned the tag of “CPL Chokers.”

But even as we debate what could have been, it is perhaps an opportune time to reflect on the state of the game in Guyana and the Caribbean. No other sport has consistently evoked so many emotions among Caribbean people. As the legendary cricket philosopher CLR James observed decades ago, cricket in the Caribbean “goes beyond the boundary.” It is more than a medium of entertainment; its significance to Caribbean identity cannot be overstated.

Scholars have now established that this game which was meant to be an essential pillar of colonial socialisation has evolved as a tool of liberation from colonial and other forms of bondage. That is why on Saturday we witnessed the pain and agony on the faces of Guyanese as their team went down to the Barbados Tridents. When our politics has failed us, we have always turned to cricket for solace. After a year of high political drama, during which we could not agree on much, Guyanese deserved something around which we could rally as a nation.

So why the stronger than usual emotions? The T20 version has in many ways changed the face of the game. Next to our carnivals, it has emerged as the most anticipated public spectacle in the Region. Unlike the case of the longer formats, crowds flock to the stadiums to watch the stars from all over the cricketing world engage in this relatively new phenomenon.

Many of the purists have dismissed the T20 version as the watering down of a game that is rooted in the soul of Caribbean civilisation. It has been blamed for the decline of the regional team’s performance, as our better players have preferred to play in the T20 leagues rather than for their country. Of course, the critics have been quick to point out that the handsome remunerations from playing in the leagues cannot be dismissed.

Others have pointed to the impact on the skills of the players. It has been argued that the techniques of the batsmen have been compromised by the need to hit each ball out of the ground with scant respect for the state of the game. The inability of players to concentrate for long periods have also been blamed on the T20 game. Bowlers seem less concerned with out-thinking batsmen and more with keeping them quiet.

Initially, it was thought that this format was best suited to the temperament of Caribbean players. But while Caribbean cricketers are in high demand in the T20 leagues and often perform very well, they have not been able to consistently do the same when playing for the West Indies. Although winning two world titles, the team is placed very low in the ICC rankings.

Clearly, there are questions to be answered. Is this most recent failure by the Warriors to seal the deal symptomatic of the state of West Indies cricket? Has T20 cricket with its franchise format diluted the traditional intra-regional rivalry among our member countries? Is the Guyana Amazon Warriors really a Guyanese team? Is this more about money and entertainment and less about commitment to country? Do the players really care whether the team wins or loses? Are we imposing a Guyanese identity on a team that does not see itself in that light?

The jury is still out on whether West Indies cricket benefits from the CPL. So many of our younger players never got a chance to feature in the tournament, even though they were drafted into the teams. In Guyana’s case, a player such as Veersammy Permaul didn’t get a chance to show his skills. This is an area that needs attention. Apart from a West Indian quota in the teams, do we need a similar quota in the playing squad? Or do we need our on West Indian league that features only or mostly West Indian players?

Finally, no commentary on the recent tournament can be complete without a word on Shimron Hetmeyer. Many Warrior fans and West Indians in general must be flabbergasted at the failure of this young man to deliver more. He has been understandably berated by commentators and fans alike for his inability to make maximum use of his enormous talent. It is true that he is young, but he has been around the senior levels for a while now. Clearly, somebody needs to take him under their wings and school him about what it means to be a rare West Indian talent. We cannot afford to lose him to the care-free instincts.