The recent embarrassing performances by the West Indies Cricket team at home during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 West Indies and the two match knock out of the Twenty 20 World cup held in South Africa highlights the lack of preparation the team undergo for major tournaments.

The evidence is there to show that whenever the West Indies has done well in recent times it has been due to preparation. Often the preparation has been inadvertently trust on the regional governing body by circumstances beyond their control.

In 2004 when the West Indies won the ICC Champions Trophy in England the team had adequate preparation due to the International fixtures. The team had already spend a couple months in England competing in the Nat West Trophy, a triangular tournament with host England and New Zealand and a One Day and a Test series with England.

It was amazing to hear the experts’ claim that the turn around in the team’s performance was due to the devastation of the islands by hurricane Ivan. Even though this claim might have some merit it is this writer’s view that the factor, which played the biggest role, was having the core of the team together for an extended period of time.

Again in 2006 when the West Indies reached the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy held in India the team was together for an extended period again due to ICC schedule. The out of place scheduling of the DLF Cup in Malaysia and the stipulation by the ICC which made the West Indies have to qualify because of their low One Day ranking meant that the team was on the sub-continent approximately 6 weeks before the tournament bowled off.

And quiet recently when the West Indies won the One-Day series against England under the captaincy of Chris Gayle this win came at the end of a six-week tour of that country. Again all the emphasis was place on Gayle’s captaincy with little regard for the preparation the core of the team would have had acclimatizing during the earlier part of the tour.

In a region where cricket can best be describe as a religion fans expect current players to live up to the high standards set by previous teams, it is indeed baffling why team preparation is held with little regard. Maybe it stems from the view that the West Indian is a natural cricketer a view I believe that was etch into the subconscious of West Indies Cricket administrators, players and fans during the dominance of the eighties.

However times have change and with this change came the break down of the informal cricket structure, which was largely responsible for the glory days of West Indies cricket. It is Therefore of up most importance that the message is gotten across to the administrators and the wider cricket public at large that international sport needs a professional approach.

Cricket is still a team sport and even though a brilliant individual performance may win a match often it is not enough on the international circuit. The West Indies unlike other international cricket teams comprises islands separated by water. It is not enough for players to meet at the Grantley Adams international airport on their way to a tournament with little are no preparation.

It is also inadequate in this era for the team to return to the Caribbean after a tour and disband at the airport only with instructions to follow individual training routines. Professional teams train for competition as a unit this allows members to better understand their roles and how their roles tie in with the over all team effort.

Now that the team and the region has been embarrassed in two of the International Cricket Council’s major tournaments due to a lack of adequate preparation. It is important that new West Indies Cricket Board President Julian Hunte and his board recognize that numerous changes must take place, if the regional team has a chance when competing on the International stage.