Benjamin: Spencer will be in good hands

Former West Indies fast bowler and coach of the PIC Liberta Blackhawks, Kenneth Benjamin, has commended 18-year-old national cricketer, Javier Spencer, on being drafted by the Guyana Jaguars ahead of this year’s Professional Cricket League (PCL).
Spencer, who represents the Blackhawks on the local front, was selected by the defending 4-Day champions during the PCL Draft held on Wednesday here in Antigua.
Benjamin believes Spencer will do better in the Guyana set-up than he would had he been drafted by the Leeward Islands.
“Stanny Simon played one game for the Leeward Islands last year and he stayed down in St. Kitts when the team was on the road. He didn’t play any cricket because there was no cricket [in St. Kitts] but in the Guyana set-up they are playing cricket the same time so even if he is not in the touring party, he probably would still be playing club cricket,” he said.
“When the four-day matches are being played in the West Indies there is no cricket in the Leeward Islands and that is a down because the guys who are not playing [in the franchise teams], they don’t play any cricket so you’re not improving, not developing and that is a flaw. The Leeward Islands probably need to look and to reschedule when they play cricket,” he added. 
Spencer joins a strong squad which includes the likes of experienced captain Leon Johnson, Windies A batting star Vishaul Singh and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul.
Benjamin said his only hope is that too much burden is not placed on the young player’s shoulders.
“I am just hoping that he is monitored and managed well because you really and truly don’t want to break him down by laying too much because four-day cricket is hard cricket and especially in the Caribbean where the pitches are hard, the fields are very hard and Guyana, doing that well obviously, will want to continue so it is a two-way street. They have to manage him well and remember he is still not fully matured and not as strong as he can be and I have no doubt that Rayon Griffith and those guys will make sure they don’t overburden him,” he said. 
Meanwhile, all-rounder Orlando Peters has been drafted back into the Leeward Islands set-up following a short hiatus.
The four-day tournament will bowl off later this year.