Barbados 'A' team in offing

Barbados' second-string cricketers might get an unexpected chance to go on tour during next season's Busta Series.

Conscious that reserves are often asked to come into the national team during mid-season without any match practice, the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) is considering picking a Barbados A team that will play competitive matches while the first-class championship is in progress.

Chairman of selectors Richard Prof Edwards said yesterday his panel was working with the BCA's Cricket Development Committee in an effort to put things in place.

We are looking at putting together a squad of those who have not made the Barbados side to have them continue practising and then have some matches around the island at various venues to keep them sharp and keep them interested, he said.

We are also looking at the possibility of getting a short tour to Trinidad or a neighbouring island.

Such tours, however, would depend of the availability of funds.

Edwards said that should the tour materialise, the reserve side would likely to be made up of players under the age of 23.

All of this has to be ratified. We haven't done anything as such yet, he said.

The Cricket Development Committee will have an input in this. This is a part of their programme. These are just some broad lines of what we are looking at.

It is hoped that the quality of the opposition would be such that it would give the players a chance to sharpen their skills in the event that they are required to play for Barbados during the two-month first-class competition starting on January 25.

We have a group of 40 people. We have others who are not getting any more [trial] matches, Edwards said. We want to keep them busy and keep them playing and interested.

In the past, it was often evident that once the Barbados team was selected for the first match of the season, the vast majority of whose who were not picked hardly attended further training sessions.

Following the completion of the third trial match yesterday, there will be a two-week break from competitive action before a BCA XI opposes a Barbados Cricket League XI at Kensington Oval from December 7 to 10.

The fourth and final trial match will be played from December 14 to 17 and the Barbados team picked shortly after.