Rebuilding West Indies Cricket

PART I - SCOUTING FROM THE RANKS



Scouting is an integral part of any development formula and building strategy. It is essential in locating outstanding talent at its earliest and guiding that talent to the coaching facilities necessary to hone those raw skills.

Of course, not all talent pans out but you stand a better chance of minimizing self destruction by corralling it early. There are two types of scouts in any system in my opinion: the primary scout for locating talent and the advance scout for pre-test reports.

In this first part, I am referring to High School player scouting, not club-established player scouting. This is a tried and proven method -- from Olympics to Baseball to Soccer and by the English, Cubans, Americans, Aussies and the whole sporting world.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) should implement a scouting program to observe and report on High School players of exceptional talent, using ex-test and Windies first class players. By selecting scouts residing in close proximity to their elected zones, the monetary costs be quite reasonably managed. Payments or rewards can be in the form of season tickets to all games in the region or with bonus incentives, based on the talent meeting certain preset criteria.

Additional bonuses can be of a deferred kind, depending on the level a player achieves from U-19 through the Test ranks. (US Baseball and English Soccer uses this form for scouts in the Dominican Republic etc). We can be innovative enough!

I will even go as far as offering a sample of a grading system/standard. For example, all players scouted must be 13-17 years of age - graded as (E) Excels, (G) Good and (A) Average. Batsmen should be graded on front-foot and backfoot ability, temperament, onside strokeplay, offside strokeplay and emphasis on their weaknesses.

Bowlers - 75-83 mph, control, swing/movement ability, flight, normal trajectory, spin level and of course, weaknesses.

All players should be graded for fielding level. Remember we are talking 13-17 year olds here! This is one way to find the diamonds in the rough, sidestepping the various biases rooted in our club cricket hindering a few from making the club teams. It would also give the WICB the opportunity to look at talent that would have been denied them by regional boards' agenda, political or otherwise.

A special panel of junior level selectors and coaches should be established to be the recipient of these reports. This panel would manage future summer camps in their home regions, which these youngsters would attend. There are facilities in Grenada, Trinidad and I believe Barbados with others being developed that can be utilized, but lack of a facililty should not prevent these camps.

The WICB should of course pick up the costs of running these camps, duration of which should be two weeks each summer. I might add that special awards have to be used as tools of encouragement to achieve the goals targeted by the camp instructors/coaches.Specific training such as bowling at one stump for three overs for bowlers and frontfoot batting 'only' day for batsmen, should be par for the course.

Some have said that it is for clubs to develop our young cricketers for the next level, but we need to get to them before to the club scene. This would help prevent some club tainting at too early a stage, and add a little more clarity to their vision, we all know clubs do have biases towards certain 'area' players. Selection to these camps would change some attitudes if WICB coaches show interest in certain players that early. The possibilities are endless!

Another disadvantage clubs have is that of being an after work event for possible coaches or trainers, who would have to donate personal time without reimbursement.

The notice the WICB would give these youngsters certainly will pique their interest and make them yearn for further guidance and recognition over subsequent summers, not to mention the positive public relations it may generate.

The matter of advance scouting is not a new phenomenon but an old tried and proven method since mankind fought wars and competed in games. 'Spying' on your opponents is not taboo, but a useful tool in highlighting opponents weaknesses andstrengths. It is one method used by West Indies adversaries with telling effect, and if the Windies does scouting it does not seem to be very good.

Too many times have we seen the Sehwags et al play their favourite (but limited) shots, square of the wickets and through cover with orthodox or poor field placement. I submit that we should be ruthlessly innovative in our Test cricket, choking off each batsman's run flow with pro-active approaches to field placement etc. This could only be done with advance scouting, given directly to the team manager, with recommendations of counter-action.

It is important that this scouting not just point out team weaknesses like difficulty playing spin, but rather individual vulnerability and exact points to attack.

It is good to hammer home to our bowlers a batsman's weakness and different ways to induce his false shots. From Soccer to Olympics to Baseball use this, along with our opponents. Why cant we?

Lastly, it does not require a scout ot remain for all tests in a series to file a useful report, one test is sufficient, thereby minimizing expenses.

* This is the first in a three-part series on Rebuilding West Indies Cricket. Angus Girard-Isaac is a diehard supporter of West Indies cricket.