Towards a New Cricketing Environment
(Barbados Advocate)
Cricket critics over the years have had lots of reasons to criticise players, officials, especially the selectors, and the cricket establishment in general. I would like to think that such criticism was rooted in a strong desire to see the future of the West Indies return to the glory days when our region stood supreme in the cricketing kingdom.
This column is dedicated to that crusade in seeking to replenish our thoughts and ideas, as it has now become necessary, more than ever, to lift this virtual institution of cricket to a new level in the twenty-first century.
It is universally accepted that the cricket academies around the world will play a principal part in determining the quality of future players. Therefore, countries that are able to establish and maintain properly managed academies will produce better players in greater quantities.
The essence of continuity and consistency in world-class performances by cricketing nations is based on their ability to replace top quality players with equal substitutes, who are fiercely competing for opportunities to showcase their skills. The academy provides the environment in which the uniqueness of a country?s cricketing heritage is passed on to future generations.
The West Indies can boast of having reached the pinnacle of international cricket during the era of the 1980?s under the leadership of Clive Lloyd and Sir Vivian Richards. Most of the great players from that era are still around to lend a helping hand in re-establishing the ?Windies Way? of conquering the opponent on the cricket field. The certified coaches among them should be involved in coaching, while others can pass on their knowledge and skill through lectures and discussions with the aid of multi-media technology. All this must be the foundation of a West Indian cricket education.
It must not be taken for granted that the required skills for international competitiveness will emerge overnight without the pre-requisite infrastructure of an active academy in place.
In addition, players attending the regionally funded institution should not be limited to those selected by the WICB, but should include scholarship winners from Caribbean cricket clubs, who can provide finance for their young talented players.
In essence therefore, the academy must have at least two structured programmes annually with advanced levels of accreditation, and within a defined, and affordable cost structure that is accessible to all Caribbean cricketers. Attending the academy, then, should not be a privilege for a chosen few, but a genuine opportunity for cricketers who want to pursue a cricketing career in the region and abroad.
With the academy as the foundation for developing a larger number of better cricketers, the stage will be prepared for the creation of professional cricket in the region. Players graduating from the academy should be able to ply their trade in any territory, representing clubs in local competitions. Adam Sanford playing for Empire Club, for example, should not be at the generosity of playing in Barbados, but a financially rewarding exercise for the West Indian fast bowler.
Cross-border movement of players, earning an income, has to be more widespread in the future, particularly with the advancement of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME). It must become the business of clubs (through corporate sponsorship) in the not too distant future, to source talented players from around the region to play in local competitions. Further, since not all the territories play cricket at the same time of year, it is possible for the bet ter players to be playing cricket all-year round, including representing the West Indies.
The establishment of professional cricket in the Caribbean may be a replica of the English, Australian or South African models, however the opportunity for playing more competitive regional cricket, which offers income benefits to players, is all the more important.
* Carlisle Best is a former Barbados and West Indies opening batsman. This column first appeared in the Barbados Advocate newspaper.