WI local: 'Open the door'

Barbadian Allrounder Vasbert Drakes wants to send a message to cricket administrators in the Caribbean.

"Loosen up!"

Drakes, who plays for Border in the South African domestic competition, signed a one-year contract this week to play for Warwickshire in the English County Championship. He previously played for Nottinghamshire and Sussex in England.

In recent years, he has been at the centre of attention over eligibility rules which dictate that players must participate in West Indies competition to be selected for international matches.

When contacted yesterday after a light training session with Border teammates and South Africa Test players Mark Boucher and Makhaya Ntini, Drakes did not touch much on the eligibility.

He, however, called for the regional administrators to recognise that facilities in the Caribbean were not suited to producing top-quality players and urged them to allow younger stars to play outside the region.

"It's the 21st Century and things are still operating like years ago," said the 31-year-old via mobile phone as he was having lunch at the East London Fish Restaurant.

"It's a matter of the structure. They (administrators) must allow the players to play outside so they can get the intensity and professionalism which would enable them to develop quicker.

"The Caribbean does not have the facilities and technology to cater towards developing young talent. The players get so far and then there is nowhere for them to improve. When a guy is off his game he has to be able to go and sit down and have a look at the areas he needs to brush up on," said Drakes, who has four first-class centuries and took 80 wickets at 22.42 in 1999 for Notts.

In a move like this, West Indian players would be able to ply their trade overseas and be released for international matches as is done in professional football.

Drakes said he was also disappointed at the way players are handled in the Caribbean. He said there were many players who did well in the past but were unable to transfer that knowledge to the upcoming players.

"We focus on the wrong things. We see guys playing in an earring and we automatically say he's not serious about the game. A guy with an earring just got ten wickets and bowled out the West Indies. Wasn't that serious cricket?

"To me, things like that are what are stopping the players from progressing. We seem to focus on the wrong areas. If a guy is doing the job, let him play."

Drakes, who played five One-Dayers against Australia in 1995, was referring to Australian off-spinner Colin Miller who took ten for 113 as the West Indies fell for the third time in the series Down Under.

So far in the South African SuperSport first-class competition, Drakes has taken 22 wickets in four matches, with a best of five for 80.

He is third behind Antiguan Kenny Benjamin, with 27 wickets in four matches, and Barbadian Mark Lavine of North West, who has 23 wickets, including a ten-wicket match haul. Lavine shares second spot with Easterns' seamer Garth Roe.

Drakes and Lavine are due to meet in a day/night match today as Border host North West in the Standard Bank One-Day Series.