West Indies Local: Fans coming back to cricket

The West Indies stars aren't back yet, but the crowds have returned to the Busta Cup.

And it didn't happen by chance either.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has set up a number of incentives to draw spectators back into the stands to watch the Caribbean's premier cricket showcase.

Prices have been slashed in half.

Former Barbados players and schoolchildren as well can watch for free.

Women accompanied by children are also admitted free.

Barbadian fans can now win free Busta T-shirts, and there are also lunch-time and tea-time draws for Busta products.

Judging from the opening match between Barbados and Guyana last weekend, the effect has been positive compared to the small turnouts last year.

'The WICB is developing a strategy of trying to promote cricket in the Caribbean and put it again in the mind of the people, especially the youth,' said Calvin Hope, chairman of the marketing committee of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA).

'They have looked at trends over the last couple of years - such as more women coming to cricket, and things that affect low attendance at games - and have formulated a drive in conjunction with the various boards across the region.

'We at the BCA were just supporting the strategies of the WICB, but in the future, we plan to look at a few things of our own to accompany what's already in place.'

Hope gave his own slant to the 'new dispensation', however, adding that they were other factors which could have helped to boost the crowd at Kensington.

'Along with the WICB drive, they were also a few new players in the Barbados team, and people were generally looking to see the talent on show,' he said.

He felt more could be done to lure locals and visitors to the venues on match days.

The acting vice-president of marketing and sales at the Barbados Tourism Authority noted that not enough was being done to tap into the tourist market, especially those from Britain.

He said that tour companies could be asked to come on board and see regional cricket, the bedrock of the West Indies team, as a viable option on their holiday.

'A balance must be there to develop further strategies to do things to attract people back to the game. There should be some incentives, pull factors - other things than just the on-field play,' Hope said.

'If you have 14 000 beds, generally that suggest a flow of traffic and we should be able, if we work together, to attract visitors to watch cricket.'