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The 'Master Blaster' is back.

But Sir Viv Richards won't be under any illusions as to what his appointment as new chairman of the West Indies selectors entails.

He would already know that it is, as Reverend Wes Hall aptly described it, a thankless task.

No magic

When the new president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) was himself in the same position, he told me: We know we will be criticised.

`We know we will get all the blame for the rain and none for the sunshine.

Sir Viv enters during what has been, figuratively, the most protracted wet season in West Indies' cricket history.

He is realistic enough to know that there is no magic formula for suddenly dispersing the dark clouds and replacing them with bright, blue skies.

He and the other selectorial beginner, his former teammate Gordon Greenidge, will find the same pool of players on the table before them as did Mike Findlay and his panel.

The veteran, Joey Carew, can appraise them of all the dozens of names they have gone through in recent times and of all the disappointments.

Inspired choice

They might, just might, from time to time come up with the inspired choice of some exciting new talent. But, in these days when players are on view from the age of 13, the sudden emergence of another Sonny Ramadhin or, for that matter, Wes Hall is unlikely.

Hopefully, they will resist the temptation of recycling failures, as Findlay's lot did with Stuart Williams and Junior Murray for the recent series against India, and not be inclined to too quickly discard individuals with obvious natural talent, like Ricardo Powell.

But the revival of West Indies cricket depends far more on strong and imaginative leadership, on and off the field, and the quality and depth of the development programmes than on the selection of the Test team.

What makes Sir Viv's installation especially significant is that it brings what Hall is fond of calling an icon back into the mainstream of West Indies cricket and there is no greater icon of the modern age than Sir Viv.

Head on

It may not be surprising to know that Sir Viv, whose cricketing being was based on meeting challenges head on, should be so keen to now take on a task as prone to pitfalls as any that faced him at the crease. But it is heartening, nonetheless.

Hall, whose remarkable career has encompassed not only cricket as player, manager, selector and now president but several years in the Cabinet of the Barbados Government, once said: I've found more politics in the West Indies' cricket spectrum than I found in the Parliament of Barbados.

Brian Lara was recently quoted as saying much the same thing.

Explaining why he was no longer interested in the captaincy, he told the cricinfo.com web site: Nowadays, there is too much politics regarding the team selection.

You can't lead the team as you wish and I don't think that the situation will change in the future.

Lara and other contemporary players might feel less cynical about the influence of politics on selection with Sir Viv calling the shots.

His playing career confirmed him as a strong, no-nonsense character. And it is his ability to treat the lobbyists that exist at all levels of the game in the Caribbean from prime ministers to posses, from board members to just plain bores with the same contempt he did opposing bowlers that will be Sir Viv's most telling asset in his new post.

A voice silenced

Hugh Crosskill, so tragically killed in his native Jamaica on Friday, was, without either doubt or even the hint of exaggeration, as complete a broadcaster as I have known.

He had a voice and an accent as sweet and as smooth as Tia Maria, a command of the English language as flawless as an Oxford don and a knowledge about everything West Indian as deep as any encyclopedia.

Radio stations in Jamaica, the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) in Barbados and the BBC Caribbean Service in London all benefited from this great talent.

Unfortunately, their gain had to be cricket's loss for he could not be on the commentary team and, at the same time, at a desk in Beckles Road or at Bush House in the Strand, conducting searching interviews with a wide variety of celebrities or hosting call-in programmes.

He described cricket for several seasons with the clarity, objectivity and complete lack of conceit that have become rare of late.

His death came as a shock to all who prayed he would finally win the several battles he fought against the dreadful drug culture that has so undermined a host of our finest people.

With one gunshot, the sweetest voice in Caribbean radio was silenced for good on Friday night. May Hugh Crosskill rest in peace.

© The Barbados Nation