Companies and state organisations have had their boards and directors fired for 'simple' omissions, or even because the ultimate power brokers have lost confidence in their judgment.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is apparently immune to punishment and, perhaps, on the contrary, it thrives on incom-petence and gets better or worse (depending on how you read things) with each error.

Foul-ups

There is no need to enumerate the number of foul-ups committed over the years, but a few that come to mind include the following:-

Sending overaged players to a Youth World Cup tournament in South Africa.

Numerous squabbles with the West Indies Players' Asso-ciation.

Less than transparent loss of sponsorship for the board and its programmes.

Poor investments resulting in loss of revenue to the board.

Firing of officers of the board who have to be re-hired on the threat of lawsuits.

Abandonment of a Test match in Kingston in 1998.

Abandonment of a Test match in Antigua in 2009.

To some extent, I agree with columnist Tony Becca, who posits that we are all to blame for the mishap in Antigua, which just happens, in my view, to be the proverbial 'icing on the cake', or maybe the straw that breaks the camel's back.

While we all may be somewhat culpable, the buck stops with the board.

They seem totally incapable of stemming the tide, but instead they come up with excuse after excuse, or they take full responsibility for the foul-ups, but to what end?

What are the consequences and when will we see a board and officers whom we can congratulate for doing a job well?

Liquidators

It seems to me that the time has come for serious and fundamental changes to be made.

It may well be time that the board is dissolved by its constituents and a receiver appointed.

There is no shortage of compe-tent international liquidators and if the West Indies brand is to be protected, then maybe Deloitte & Touche, PriceWaterhouse, Ernst and Young, or some such eminent firm, be asked to manage West Indies cricket in the interim, until competent individuals emerge to protect our image and safeguard this noble sport, that still means so much to so many.

I am, etc.,

NEWTON A JACKS

Barbican Avenue, Kingston 8