Caribbean: Officials call for international tournament

Cricket officials of three national associations have called for the introduction of a regional tournament for countries on the Caribbean Rim.

Cayman Islands Cricket Association official, Theo Cuffy, Bahamas Cricket Association Secretary, Gregory Taylor, and Belize National Cricket Association President, Llewellyn Sutherland, have all claimed a competition for Caribbean countries outside the jurisdiction of the West Indies Cricket Board of Control is needed.

"There are a number of countries in the Caribbean who don't have something to aim for," Cuffy said.

"Such a tournament would assist in the formalisation process of cricket in the Caribbean in those areas not administered by the WICB.

"It will also give these countries the chance to expose themselves and see how they compare," Cuffy added.

Taylor agreed, while cautioning that costs were a hurdle.

"That's something the Bahamas have looked at getting started but when it came down to it, it became a matter of sponsorship," Taylor said.

He said the the guarantee of regular competition provided by such a tournament would help lift standards in the Bahamas.

"The national team would have something to train for and keep at their game," Taylor continued.

Sutherland agreed there was merit to the concept.

"It is something we would like to see happen," Sutherland said.

The Turks and Caicos Islands Cricket Association is also believed to attracted by the prospect of more competition.

Cricket in the Caribbean outside the rule of the WICB is in a comparable situation to the Pacific region before the ICC's appointment of Andrew Eade as its East Asia-Pacific Development Officer.

There was plenty of cricket being played, but it lacked direction and there was no competitive cricket for the smaller countries at the international level.

Now Pacific countries will be competing in their own tournament in January in Auckland, and are benefitting from their relationship with the ICC.

Countries such as the Turks and Caicos, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela field representative teams in low profile 'internationals' and would be likely inclusions in sucb a tournament.

There is also cricket of varying formats and standards being played in Cuba, Guadeloupe, Colombia and the Dutch Antilles. It is rumoured to be played in El Salvador, Surinam, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

I hope to bring you conformation of cricket activity in those countries when the page resumes in late August.