Forget Shame, Win The Game EDITORIAL Barbados Nation April 24, 1999 Even a disgrace. That’s the best way to describe the outcome of the fifth One-Day International between West Indies and Australia which was played at Bourda. The spectators who ran onto the field in Guyana before the game ended might very well have cost the West Indies the series by forcing the referee to declare the match a tie, instead of a victory for the home side. That would be the real shame. To us in the Caribbean, cricket is more than a game. It’s an important aspect of our way of life. We share the joys of our team’s victories and endure the humiliation of defeat. In recent times, we have been forced to take a roller coaster ride of emotion as our team’s fortunes have risen and fallen in a fashion that’s hard to take. That’s how we should view the unfortunate incident in Guyana – it’s part of the frustration. It is clear that some fans there reacted inappropriately. The authorities there too must share some of the blame for not putting the necessary security in place to protect the players. That lapse in security contributed to the chaos which ensued. But in our disappointment over what happened at Bourda, we too should keep our reaction in check. When the teams trot onto the field at Kensington Oval today, we should channel our energies into backing our team, not condemning the Guyanese. As we did in the historic third Test, we must let the West Indies team know that we are in their corner and that they can win. So let’s hear it for West Indies victory at Kensington Oval.