WI: Let's give youth a hand - Across the board

WICB director of coaching.

The victory of the Windward Islands in this year's regional Under-19 cricket tournament is an achievement worthy of closer examination.

For some time the Windwards have been considered the weakest of the regional teams, but this victory suggests that the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) Windward Islands Cricket Development Programme is producing results.

This programme has been run since November, 1997. During this time the Board has trained teachers in the primary schools to coach the children and provided kits to get mini-games of cricket going in the primary schools. The WICB also assigned former West Indies batsman Gus Logie to work with the Windwards Under-15, Under-19 and senior squad.

A great effort was made to train women as well as men as coaches and that has increased the amount of cricket that is being played in schools. The teacher who has been trained as a coach can provide technical information in a simple manner and is always there in close contact with the young cricketer.

The programme will be expanded next year within the Scotia Bank Kiddy Cricket programme.

The positive results of all this is seen in the fact that better quality young players are now coming out of the Windwards.

How we nurture our young players throughout the region will have a direct correlation with how the West Indies team performs in the future.

In the past we tended to believe that we would continue to produce one naturally gifted player after the other. It is now clear that proper development of players from an early stage is very important if they are to become top-class Test players.

Our development programme received a tremendous boost when our Under-15 team became champions at the Costcutter World Cricket Challenge by beating Pakistan in the final at Lord's.

A lot of time was devoted to mental preparation of that team and the immediate outcome of this was displayed in the total focus and application towards achieving their goals.

They won their most important matches, including the final, chasing a total and exhibited mental toughness that far exceeded what could be reasonably expected from a team of such tender years.

However, we cannot rest on these achievements. We must continue to provide these young players with guidance.

Sponsorship is vital in providing the monetary backing to keep our development programme going. Youth cricket in the Caribbean unfortunately does not readily attract sponsorship. The regional Under-15 programme through the patronage of the Carib Cement Company was launched in time for the 1996 Lombard Challenge in England, and has not been able to get new sponsorship.

The Nortel Under-19 tournament which ran for several years under their auspices is now also without a sponsor.

But the show must go on, and has gone on, while new sponsors are being sought in these two vital areas of West Indies cricket.

In order to capitalise on the interest generated by the success of the Under-15s the Territorial Boards in conjunction with the WICB will have to co-operate in assuring that talent around the region at this level is not allowed to 'go by the wayside but be given every support, encouragement and opportunity to take their game to the highest level.

It is a long and difficult road from representative Under-15 to Under-19, often resulting in the loss of potentially talented cricketers to the game who are unable to make the immediate break through into the older age group.

It is in this regard that the WICB is seriously examining a recommendation from their cricket sub-committee that regional cricket at the Under-17 level be introduced through the territorial Boards locally with a view to having competition to bridge the gap between the other two existing youth levels.

Although there is no Under-17 World Cup tournament at present, all the other Test playing countries have representative teams in this agegroup, which automatically increases the number of young players in the 'pool of excellence'

The young raw talent is here in abundance, it is our duty to harness and promote its development to ensure a high quality West Indies cricket future.