The Independent Voice of West Indies Cricket

Fortunes of the West Indies team will be turned around- Conde Riley

Wed, Mar 22, '17

 

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The West Indies might not be winning Tests and One-Day International matches regularly, but several measures have been implemented by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over the past three years that should halt the team’s decline in international cricket, says WICB director Conde Riley.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY Riley was adamant that the fortunes of the West Indies team will be turned around as the policies implemented start to take root. He suggested that there have already been a few signs of things to come in the future.

“About three years ago the board took the decision to employ Richard Pybus (former director of cricket) to look at the rebuilding of West Indies first-class cricket. One of his first initiatives was the expansion of the first-class season from five to ten matches. The regional one-day tournament was also expanded. We also professionalised regional cricket by contracting 15 players in each of the six territories,” Riley stated.

He added: “The contracting of these players in my view was a revolutionary development in our cricket. It allowed 90 cricketers from throughout the region to go to work on a daily basis with cricket as their main focus. They could train, get fit and prepare themselves fully for the task of playing cricket. I think that this will lead to the better development of our young cricketers in the future.”

read more at Barbados Today