In The Papers Today (Sep 23, 2005)

In the Barbados Nation, Haydn Gill discusses the possibility of a name change for Kensington Oval once redevelopment work for World Cup 2007 is completed. The report cites the Queens Park Stadium in Grenada and the Brit Oval in London as examples of where name changes have recently occurred following renovation.

World Cup Barbados chief executive Stephen Alleyne says: "Kensington Oval is the name that is known worldwide and one of the most provocative, evocative names in cricket's history, so we are not going to depart from that."

Gill also ponders the tough task faced by Joel Garner and the other Barbados national selectors ahead of the 2005 President's Cup. The panel met Thursday evening to name a final squad of fourteen, no easy feat according to Gill who listed 25 genuine contenders.

In the same publication, Ezra Stuart covers the inaugural presentation of the BWIA-Collis King Junior Award, which will be presented annually to the most outstanding player of the Cable & Wireless under-15 competition.

The 2005 award went to Dario Sargeant, captain of The Lodge under-15 team and as presented by Wendell Coppin, the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) Development Officer for Barbados.

On the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) WindiesCricket.com site comes news that directors will meet on Saturday at the Turtle Beach Hotel, Barbados for the final time this financial year.

Agenda items for the meeting include the appointment of a new ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 board following the resignation of Chairman Rawle Brancker and other non-executive directors; an update on progress towards the World Cup from Don Lockerbie and submissions from a number of WICB committees including those for integration steering, Win World Cup and Constitution Review.

Also up for discussion are reports submitted by team officials from the West Indies A Team tour of Sri Lanka.

The Trinidad Express reveals that twelve match officials scheduled to officiate in the 2005 West Indies limited overs tournament participated in a Duckworth/Lewis workshop in Barbados last Sunday.

The WICB put on the event in which umpire Norman Malcolm of the Jamaica Cricket Umpires' Association conducted a session for Duckworth/Lewis administrators and WICB Cricket Operations Officer Derrick Nicholas coached match referees.

The officials were instructed in both manual and computerised Duckworth/Lewis calculations and presented with a number of potential match scenarios in an effort to provide realistic examples of how the system is utilised.

Naz Yacoob of the Trinidad Guardian reports that the annual Gerry Gomez Pizza Hut Memorial North/South Cricket Classic has been moved from its traditional timeslot.

Usually played prior to the start of the regional first class competition and used as a last chance display for cricketers hoping for selection to the national team, the match will now be contested in February, mid-way through the Carib Beer series.

In a statement carried on the International Cricket Council (ICC) website, General Manager David Richardson discusses a written report submitted to the West Indies Cricket Board on the findings of independent analysis of Jermaine Lawson's suspect bowling action.

Included in the correspondence was advice that Lawson?s action falls within the ICC prescribed range, and that the Jamaican fast bowler showed improvement from when he was first reported to the end of the analysis by biomechanist Dr Paul Hurrion.

However, Hurrion's report did identify some areas of concern and Richardson warns: "It is important to be aware, however, that no bowler is ever 'cleared' as they could simply revert to bad habits."

Jamaica Gleaner's "From the Boundary" columnist Tony Becca's latest offering is on the positive response from West Indies players to the Board's invitation to camp. Becca writes that Brian Lara is interested in playing, Pedro Collins has already committed to signing up should he be selected and says that the WICB is current enemy number one.

He says that the cricketing public can only hope and pray that the strongest team possible takes the field in Australia when events of the last 10 months are considered.

Although mentioning the contract impasse, the ongoing struggle between the Board and West Indies Players? Association, Becca still manages to completely ignore the existence of the Lucky Report.

The Virgin Islands Daily News announces that the West Indies Cricket Board and Scotiabank have launched the Kiddy Cricket program in the Virgin Islands. The program will incorporate lessons on maths, science and nutrition with cricket basics.

Philip Hackett, on Cayman Net News, talks up St Lucia's Beausejour Stadium as it prepares to host the regions first ever ODI under lights, but warns that execution of the plan is still dependent on the lights actually being installed!

Hackett?s article quotes World Cup St Lucia boss Ernest Hillaire: "In a sense, putting in the lights is a continuation of what we see as the quality of facility that the West Indies should be offering to the world."

The Jamaica Observer reports on the 24-man shortlisted squad that will start pre-tour camp in Barbados on Saturday.

Jamaican players Xavier Marshall, Jermaine Lawson, Jerome Taylor and Dwight Washington have all been excluded from camp whilst Chris Gayle has been excused so he can head to Australia to represent the ICC World One Day XI in place of injured Herschelle Gibbs.

According to the Stabroek News, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine have been granted leave from the first two days of the West Indies camp in Barbados at the request of the Guyana Cricket Board.

The trio, who are in contention for places on the senior team to Australia, will stay in Guyana to play the El Dorado Inter-County final on Saturday. They are now expected to join the camp at the 3W's oval on Monday.

The Guyana Chronicle announces that Chanderpaul will captain Guyana in the 2005 President's Cup whilst Sarwan has been appointed his deputy. In the last regional tournament, Sarwan had turned down the vice captaincy.

Mahendra Nagamootoo has been included in the squad of fourteen, and another seven players have been placed on stand-by for selection as the West Indies tour of Australia stands to deplete the ranks.

Dan Rutstein of the Bermuda Royal Gazette writes that Gus Logie has his work cut out for him in 2006, as the Bermuda national team is scheduled to play 10 weeks of cricket abroad.

Logie and his men are undertaking the gruelling itinerary as part of their preparation for the West Indies hosted Cricket World Cup 2007.