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Barbados has shown that they will struggle to bowl out teams twice unless they expose its young fast bowlers

Its unfortunate Jofra Archer is vying for an English play becuz he would been exposed these last two matches.

Barbados only really have Cummins and Roach as their main pacers, so next season we expect to see the return of Leon Harding and the debut of Chemar Holder.

Lets home some more emerge later this year after a long domestic season home.

In reply to analyst-kid

Agreed.

We desperately need someone with some pace.

Leveridge had our batsmen hopping at Kensington.

We haven't produced a tall bowler with some pace in a while.

In reply to analyst-kid

would be great to see both Harding and Chemar playing, but let me caution it may not be for the pride

In reply to analyst-kid

We need to expose our pacers throughout the region period. Tell me the last world class spinner we have produced and how many games have been won by spinners since then even with these sub-standard pitches that we now play on?

BIMs teams have always operated on seniority and who is part of the established clique. It's an absolute travesty bordering on a NATIONAL disgrace that Stoute could take a new ball as did Nurse in the last match. Whose purpose does that serve?

No wonder our cricket is a mess because we are basically visionless across all boards as either we don't have an idea or don't care about the traditions and the things that once made us great.

Good cricket wickets produce good, fearless batsmen and big strong fast bowlers whatever the quality will get you wickets before mediocre spinners.

I would also like to see Springer in the squad.

In reply to openning

Springer, Chamar, Harding, Mayers, Reifer all need to be playing regardless of the franchise...some need to be retired from active duty too!!!

In reply to mkcharles

Who would you retire from active duty, all these Bajans players as well as from the other regions are u30.
this is one of the reasons we not a world top 5, we replace a 25-year-old with a 23 yo, and replace the 23 with a 19 yo. as soon as u16 kid make a couple of runs we replace the u19 with the 16yo.

In reply to mkcharles

We seem to be producing Medium Pacers, that has some ability with the bat.
The only guy that is a batsman who bowls is Chase, Jason Holder, Greaves and Springer, could easily be batting all-rounders.
Warrican need to be working with a coach, he seem to be a robot and Nurse is mostly suited for the shorter version.

In reply to tc1

So BIM needs to play Warrican, Benn and Nurse in same team with title already thrown away? And last time I checked Carter was a WI ODI player with good reason. How about having a look at young MaCaskie? What do you lose? What do you really lose when you go with a McCaskie over an Omar Phillips?

Teams can be freshened up without any changes in the overall results but we don't like to rock the boat or rather rock ppl's egos and the boys club.

In reply to openning

CB is just as good as Chase or Holder as a batsman

In reply to tc1
Post a link comparing him to the others.

In reply to mkcharles

I think MaCaskie should get a look in.

In reply to openning

that's exactly the point and yet we will pick them all if we could and pick Stoute too so as not to rock a boat.

Jerome Jones is one that comes to mind who we didn't fast track and now he's supposedly off the boil though I don't quit buy into that as he is still a young man, that is big and strong and above all left handed.

BIMsters are true aristocrats and we would never take a chance at left field with a Leveridge type as that would go against the grain of political correctness.

In reply to tc1

Nonsense...Carlos can't play a back foot shot.

The much maligned Jason Holder is the only player that we have in the entire region that can be developed into a genuine international all-rounder.

He needs to bat higher up the order, and never mind the speed gun his bowling does need some structural work. He has to put in the work before he reaches the point of no return.

That said his real problem is what is currently asked of him in the WI team.

In reply to mkcharles

I advocated for McCaskie, Primus, Shane Parris as well as Malcolm Goodman since we have 4d and OD teams we need to manage the players better.
I totally agreed with you that we did not need to bring back Benn when we could have gone for the u19 spinner bowler Bishop, if there is a need for an additional spinner,His econ was one of the best during OD.

At the same time, we do not want to throw away JC, KH, SB or KC, We need all of them competing.

In reply to openning

I am not good at posting link, but scoring 3 test 50s goes a long way

In reply to mkcharles

There are a number of problems with the BCA, my pest pea is the Elite and 1st Division
Too many teams, with limited Elite and 1st division quality players

In reply to kingdom

We have 2 teams, we should try to get the youngsters into the ODI if their performance merits a play.The talented youngster will kick down the door and dominate.

In reply to tc1

West Indies / Players / Carlos Brathwaite

Carlos BCA

In reply to mkcharles

I agree that Holder could be a genuine international all-rounder but I also like Mayers. One of the few that gets a lot of lateral movement and he en no slouch with the bat. I wouuld love for him to play for Bim.

In reply to openning

There is no problem with the number of teams, the problem is that a lot of good players in their 20s and 30s are no longer playing at the highest level.

Lots of good cricket is still being played and there are still good enough quality players with good experience playing all over BIM. Nothing has been done by the BCA to address why this is the case.

You go to a high level match and there are more match officials than players and spectators and the equipment on show has to be seen to believe. Yet everyone pats themselves on the back, everyone gets paid and no one is bothered about the cricket product least of all the Board.

I get involved in junior cricket at the grass roots level and let me tell you there is no real help for the clubs. So many are falling through the cracks.

In reply to analyst-kid

What little I saw of Harding left me wanting more. Hope he can play a full season...cyan teach pace and he has it.

In reply to Oilah

Don't start me on Kyle... If he was of another nationality he would have been fast tracked after that U19 world cup a few years back.


He is a wonderfully gifted 3-dimensional cricketer who I hope makes it to the next level...and yes he should be playing for BIM before many..

In reply to Oilah

He was so from 11 years...running around at speed fielding the ball with both hands on the boundary. He also hit stumps for fun. There was an U13 team with him and Sharmar Springer a few years back that brought out hundreds to watch U13 cricket on Sundays the likes of which we have not seen since... what he has is a NATURAL.

In reply to openning
Thanks, I can pull the stats but am not well verse in links

His stats at the fc level is on par with Jason, he has played a lot of test, OD or T20 to evaluate his stats or actual live cricket.

In reply to tc1

Shakeem Clarke is another good youngster.

In reply to kingdom


How good of a wk keeper is Carlos Maynard.

In reply to mkcharles

The best players in the BCA, should be playing 1st division cricket, Youngsters don't have to fight for a spot on any 1st division team.
I am from the old school, that saw very good competition in Barbados.
Empire, Spartan, Pickwick, Carlton and Wanderers, produced players to the Barbados and West Indies teams, the competition with teams and among players were first class.
I played for Yorkshire, and it still is an Intermediate and 2nd division club

In reply to tc1

Unfortunately those stats don't tell the story of young man that was heading for the top before injury.

That injury has greatly impacted his mobility and his bowling.

Sure he bats well enough, but I think he is right no at his ceiling as a player.

There is however a lot more that Jason can produce if he has the stomach and desire for it.

In reply to openning

I am old school and played in both the Old First Division and Intermediate both at school and after school so I get you.

The youngsters are in the teams by default but you have to ask why is this the case. There are still many good cricketers around who opt not to play at this level even though they are all still PLAYING. No one is bothered by this.

In reply to mkcharles/ openning

Openning thinks that only teams from the city should play Division 1 cricket and their players are great if you are not from the city, you are doom.

Openning, bye the way, GB will be spending a week with me in May, I will make sure he calls you.

In reply to tc1

In the late 80s we started to destroy our cricket at the grass root level with the North V South Debate. We even produced two school teams in Division One that was basically City Versus Country.

It was said openly at the time that country boys were more naturally talented and that was underscored by the way teams were picked. Cricket was used as a way to change the status quo.

What evolved is that the face and type of player moving on to play for BIM was forever changed and is still en vougue to this very day.

In reply to tc1

You are so wrong, I am a country boy.
Barbados cricketing population declined when the white population quit playing 1st division cricket, and over the years the BCA increase the clubs, with an Elite division.
Putting more clubs into the top division, just water down the quality of cricket.
Maple should be pulling the best youngsters from C&P, Alleyne, youngsters from St. James, St. Peters, St. Lucy, St. Andrews, St. Joseph and St. Thomas
I've seen Carlton losing players, with the introduction of the Elite division, and moving clubs from the Intermediate to first division.
I met a guy last year, when I was home, playing for Yorkshire, who played for Maple.
You can not water down a product, and produce the same quality player.

In reply to mkcharles

This is very enlighting especially for me being 5000 miles away from home.

In reply to openning

All that you said is true...but do you know that every Saturday every one of these clubs have a 30-50 boys in youth programs especially up to age 15?

The clubs are left to foot the bill to take care of these boys and the are struggling for a lack of funding. The BCA is the one responsible for the product but they DO NOT spend the money on developing cricket. The most popular and well run junior completion for U13 is not even under the auspices of the BCA and it hasn't ever been!!!

There is a reason why St. Catherine are the current champions of Barbados cricket. They have found a way to keep the community together and there is a natural progression from Bayley's Primary to the St.Catherine/St. Phillip Juniors' youth programs right through to the club. They have done it all by themselves by being resourceful.

We can reduce the clubs but I rather suspect that the standard will not change. More players will simply just go and ply their trade in the BCL and Community Leagues. We need to address how we take care of JUNIOR cricket.

Right now they are too many so called fast bowlers who like to bat. At some point some of the knuckleheads who run the cricket have to realize that fastbowling wins international matches. None of these guys even look like they want to push on and become out and out fast bowlers. Just sit and watch Cummins, Holder and Carlos bowl. The effort is so lacking. They never seem to try to extract extra pace at all. A fast bowler is a different breed and the fellas all around are not that. These guys all want to talk diplomatically and play diplomatically. A fast bowler does that when he retires but while he plays diplomacy is not a word in his vocabulary. You have to pick and train such youngsters now. This is hard work and you have too many pretty boys masquerading as fast bowlers.

[b]In reply to seaegg

...fast bowling is innate...you have to have the spirit of a warrior...very few are made, they are born

The Kid Keon Harding for example, he was always a skinny little fella. But from young when you put a ball in his hand he became a different fella pushing his body to the limits. He is one I like for sure.

What is happening is that we are producing conveyor belt fast bowlers. There is NO glory anymore in bowling fast and we certainly don't prepare wickets to encourage it. In junior cricket you win titles by playing 5 slow bowlers and then ppl walk around talking about how many titles they have won when in fact they have developed ZERO players to help improve West Indies Cricket.

That is why junior cricket has to be the prevue of the BCA. It cannot simply be for the Sir Everton Weeks Centre of Excellence. The BCA must get more involved what is happening at the grass roots level and invest there and not only a whole bunch of unnecessary administration costs.

I used to talk to Keith Boyce quite often...he was always proud of mentoring Collins and Collymore ...but he always said when you are playing Shell Shield/FC cricket..you must bend your back and extract pace.

I saw Roach do this this season and I think he should be have been selected...but Holder has his play.

On another note I think a four prong of Gabriel/Joseph/Roach and Reifer would be effective esp when you consider Reifer and Chase can bat.

In reply to analyst-kid

I agree with you in that I would have also picked Kemar to play with Gabriel and Joseph. The thing is Jason can play too. Jason has to change his role in that he has to take on the responsibility and bat at 5 or 6. I have said before he CAN develop into a truly international class all-rounder. It's really whether or not he can shake off that nice guy, put in some work on the structural issues with his bowling and ultimately get some fire in his belly.

I can't advocate playing Reifer ahead of Jason even though I also think that Reifer should be in the overall squad to provide a different OPTION in the team selection from match to match. He can play for one of those 3 pacers at the right time and he can be backup to Jason.

Bottom line is we have to take 20 wickets and in all my life, fast bowling even of varying quality will always get the job done before mediocre slow bowling. We need to prepare harder, truer pitches and we need to better invest in our young people BEFORE they are introduced to the world.

Watching from afar and only occasionally ( and on a small screen ) the only bowler who looks to 'have something ' is IMO Keon Harding.... statistically wise he has not set the world on fire but he just looks to have something ... natural skiddy pace... and he moves the ball off the seam as well... he looks like someone that could get faster and become a genuine quick bowler... needless to say I really hope he does because the region as a whole is very short of genuinely quick bowlers.

In reply to mkcharles

That's the way I see it also. We have so many blindmen. Lots of lip service but cannot see that it is in the juniors when these guys should be developed.

Some of these guys needs the coaches to kick them in the ass. Too damn lackadaisical. Bowling a bunch of medium to sweet and want to be called a fast bowler.

All style and no substance. They all should be dropped. Just clean house and make them fight for a place.

In reply to mkcharles

I don't want to reduce the number of clubs, what I would like to see is the elimination of the promotion and demotion from Elite and 1st division and have eight teams competing at the highest level.

I left bim more than 45 years ago, thanks to the BCA website and the newspapers, I keep up to date, with the Junior program.

I have been talking about this line-up for awhile.

Roach
Joseph
Gabriel / Cummins

Holder as the allrounder.

Gabriel will not last the whole series - he will brekdown again.

In reply to TheTrail

Exactly and this is because he bowls off of his strength and not off rhythm.