By Neto Baptiste
Antigua and Barbuda could still play as a separate team in regional cricket competitions at the youth level.
This is the belief of Leon Rodney, president of the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Asssociation, who said that the move would present an opportunity to expose more players at the youth level.
“There are a number of guys who sometimes get left out of those youth teams who probably should have been in the teams, but just as life always has it, somebody will always be overlooked. But to have a true Caribbean tournament may just give the selectors a greater opportunity to see some fresh faces; that’s how I see it, have a true Caribbean tournament where each Caribbean territory stand on their own feet and the selectors look for the best of the best,” he said.
There has been talk for quite some time of a possible separation from the Leewards setup with Antigua and Barbuda playing as a separate entity in the CWI regional competitions.
However, Rodney said that this would prove difficult at the senior level.
“It has never been off the burner and this is something we have spoken about on numerous occasions of going it alone at the youth level, because obviously with the professional setup at the senior level you clearly can see that is not going to happen anytime soon unless that structure changes. I can’t sit here and tell you that it is off the burner because I know that the directorship believes that we need to give more of, not only the Antiguan youths but the Leeward Islands youths and if one is thinking positively, giving the Windward Islands youths greater opportunity,” he said.
Rodney was recently named a CWI Director following the Leeward Islands Cricket Board’s electoral congress two Saturdays ago.