Commonwealth Games Cricketers Getting In Shape (6 May 1998)
BARBADOS have been drawn in the same group as World Cup champions Sri Lanka, fellow West Indians Jamaica and home nation, Malaysia, in the Commonwealth Games' first cricket tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in September
06-May-1998
May 6 1998
Commonwealth Games Cricketers Getting In Shape
by Tony Cozier
BARBADOS have been drawn in the same group as World Cup champions
Sri Lanka, fellow West Indians Jamaica and home nation, Malaysia,
in the Commonwealth Games' first cricket tournament in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, in September.
The 16 teams ö including the four top finishers in last year's
ICC Trophy tournament for non-Test countries ö have been divided
into four groups, leading to semifinals for which only group
winners would qualify.
There would then be play-offs for gold, silver and bronze medal
places. Barbados Cricket Association president Tony Marshall
confirmed yesterday that Barbados would be participating as part
of the overall team of the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA)
which is financing the trip.
He said a preliminary list of 18 players had already been
submitted to the Games organisers. The final squad would
"probably comprise" 16 players and three officials.
"Like all other sports, we were asked to get names of our
participants in by a certain date but, unfortunately, our
selectors Charlie Griffith, Joel Garner and Stephen Farmer have
been out of the island recently at one time or another," Marshall
said. "We have supplied 18 provisional names and I hope the final
16 would be finalised at a selection meeting next week."
Matches start September 12, prior to the end of the English
league season in which several Barbados players, including
captain Philo Wallace, are engaged. The BCA would first have to
ascertain their availability.
As with all other international games, such as the Olympics, the
Pan-American Games and the Central American and Caribbean (CAC)
Games, only individual countries are recognised, eliminating any
West Indies team.
Trinidad and Tobago did not enter a cricket team while Guyana
withdrew its entry recently for financial reasons. The individual
Leeward and Windward Islands do not qualify because they do not
have either first-class or International Cricket Council (ICC)
associate status.
Only England of the Test-playing countries has decided not to
send a team since itÊclashes with the culmination of its season.
There is also a clash that affects India and Pakistan who are
scheduled to contest the third annual Sahara Cup in Toronto,
Canada, on precisely the same dates as the Commonwealth Games.
The Indian Board is reportedly trying to have the dates for the
Sahara Cup shifted but organisers of the heavily-sponsored
tournament have baulked at the suggestion. If the schedules
remain, the full India team would go to Toronto and the ÎA' team
to Kuala Lumpur.
The draw for the Commonwealth Games is:
Group A: Barbados, Jamaica, Malaysia, Sri Lanka.
Group B: Australia,ÊCanada, India and fourth team to be announced
(replacing Guyana).
Group C: Bangladesh, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
Group D: Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland.
Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)