Haynes at Helm

Former Barbados and West Indies opening batsman Desmond Haynes is the new chairman of the Barbados cricket selectors.

Haynes was elevated to the post on Tuesday night after the new board of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), under president Sir Conrad Hunte, met to appoint committees.

And Tuesday Haynes promised to widen the pool from which players are chosen.

The vision for Barbados is there and I would like to start by getting some scouts to come and advise me on players who should be looked at for selection, he told the Barbados Nation.

I would like people to assist me and Im quite willing to listen to anybody who would come to me and say: There is a guy in the country who looks as though he has the ability to represent Barbados. I would be the first to get into my car and journey to have a look at him. This is the kind of policy I want to develop.

Haynes was speaking at the Dover ground where he was hosting a group of Under-11 players at the first Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes Mini Cricket Festival.

He was joined by Alvin Greenidge and Ezra Moseley, two former West Indies players who are also members of the new-look selection panel.

The other member is Stephen Farmer, the only survivor from the previous panel which was headed since 1993 by Charlie Griffith. The captain will continue to act as the fifth member of the panel.

Admitting that he was a bit surprised to be chairman, the 43-year-old who scored 7 487 runs in 116 Tests said it was always his dream to be a selector.

Back in the early 90s when I was captain [of Barbados], I had a very strong vision about getting players in the Barbados team who wanted to play for the West Indies, he said.

We [selectors] would like to get players who have a passion and love for the game and want to play for the West Indies - not only playing at the Barbados level.

Haynes and his team will take up their appointments in preparation for next years Busta Cup four-day regional competition, since the team for the ongoing Red Stripe Bowl was selected by the former panel headed by Griffith.