India on the smart-path: Powell

One of the brightest one-day stars from the Caribbean early this century till he faded out under a cloud of inconsistency and controversy, the 27-year-old only hopes that Dhoni would not be pushed to the road he was forced on to early in his career.

“He will develop into a much better player with experience… In my case, it was inexperience. I left high school the same year I made the West Indies team for the World Cup to England in 1999. And right after that, I hit the scene. But I didn’t have the right kind of grooming, the right things in place. The system in the Caribbean wasn’t set up for young players. After we make our debuts there is no guidance or place to train, hone our skills,” says the Jamaican.

Spotted by Gary Sobers and Everton Weekes and thrust into the one-day team in 1999 after just six first class games — he replaced Carl Hooper — Powell says the huge gulf between cricket in India and in the West Indies is not about talent but smart thinking.

“When you see the team that’s in the Caribbean now, without Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, it’s obvious that India are thinking smartly ahead. They are not going to allow the same thing that happened to the West Indies to happen to them. They are not going to wait until these players are at the end of their careers before starting to change or trying out others. They are going to try the new players when the experienced are already there in the team to guide them. I am sure senior players like Ganguly will understand what the selectors and the Indian board are trying to achieve.

“You don’t want young players to come into the side with nobody senior left to groom them,” he says.

Powell, who moved to Trinidad four years ago after “certain differences” with Jamaican cricket officials, is now the successful CEO of a publishing house in Trinidad, where he stays with wife and business partner Alicia. Their lifestyle magazine Basia is into its fourth issue (of the year) and has featured Caribbean stars on the cover like Shivnarine Chanderpaul. It has also had Bob Marley’s “last known” girlfriend Cindy Breakspeare.

“We are now hoping to feature Rahul Dravid, The Wall of India, Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest batsman you will ever see, and Sourav Ganguly, another successful batsman. These guys are already known in the Caribbean. But people would love to know the real story. My wife even wants to get the magazine into India,” he says.

In fact, Powell has had a peculiar Indian connection — cricket and otherwise. Some of his best knocks early in his career have come against India, including that mind-boggling 124 during the Coca-Cola Cup in Singapore in 1999-2000. That was when he hit eight sixes to equal Gordon Greenidge’s Caribbean record. He followed that up with a 76 at Toronto a few months later, with seven sixes.

He has imported wood furniture from Jaipur, a venture that he had to give up after the magazine was launched. And today he plots his West Indies comeback with bats from Delhi and Mumbai. “I haven’t given up cricket. I have learnt a lot in the years I played for the West Indies. And in the last six months, since I took a break, I have learnt a lot from outside the game.

“Being a commentator, I have learned more. If I get a chance to make a comeback, it will be a different Ricardo Powell out there.”

Powell in a nutshell

Born: December 16, 1978, St Elizabeth, Jamaica

Major teams: West Indies, Jamaica

ODI debut: vs Pakistan at Bristol May 16, 1999

Last ODI: vs India at Colombo (RPS) Aug 7, 2005

Matches: 109; Runs: 2085; Average: 24.82; Century: 1; Half-centuries: 8

The Jamaican was touted as the cleanest striker of the ball in West Indies since Sir Vivian Richards, when he made his international debut against Pakistan in 1999. Powell quickly took centre stage with an innings of 124 from 93 balls against India in Singapore. But despite this magnificent start, he was soon bought down to earth. Has failed to get a regular place in Windies squad.