I Am Not Pulling Any Punches – Benjamin Takes Cricket Association To Task Over Lack Of Development Initiatives

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Former West Indies fast bowler and founder of the Grassroots Cricket Academy, Winston Benjamin.
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By Neto Baptiste

Former West Indies fast bowler and founder of the Grassroots Cricket Academy, Winston Benjamin, has levelled harsh criticisms at the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) for what he labels a ‘toothless’ approach to the development of the game at the youth level.

Benjamin was, at the time, responding to questions regarding the lack of development at the grassroots level here in Antigua, more so in the female version of the game.

“We need to revamp the whole cricketing structure in the country and that is number one. Number two, we have to do a specific drive to get females and number three, we need the cricket authorities in this country, the Antigua Cricket Association, to put something in place because they are basically doing nothing. They are just there to organize a couple of matches and that’s it. So there is nothing at all in place by the organisation. Apart from putting a fixture together, what else are they doing? Nothing,” he said.

“I am not pulling any punches and I am not trying to get at anybody, I am just speaking facts. Our association is toothless. They don’t make no sense because the clubs can do what they [association] is doing now, organise their own games and play. They don’t need the cricket association,” he added. 

Currently, there are no development programmes under the auspices of the local cricket association. And although there have been attempts to host similar programmes and or competitions, they were short-lived with no real results or follow-up actions.

Benjamin pointed to an initiative launched in November 2019 during which the ABCA partnered with Cricket West Indies (CWI) to conduct an under-15 girls programme but failed to build on the momentum the enterprise provided.

“A few years ago they made a step at Rising Sun [grounds] – and the amount of females they had down there – it was nearly a hundred. What happened after that? They stopped and there was nothing else after that but that was the perfect opportunity to build on. … You may not get all but if you get 25 or 30 then you could afford to organize little games in St Kitts and in the Windward Islands because they have a different set-up than what we have here. But as I said, what is the duty and what is the job?” he said.

Benjamin, also a former Leeward Islands fast bowler, said that although there are a few young female players plying their trade with local clubs across the island, having a national programme would appeal to a larger number of girls.

“People want to represent their country and they will look past local representation in terms of clubs. But once they hear the national team is doing so and so then not only the girls, but the parents of some of these girls, would be more interested to hear they are playing for Antigua than to hear they are playing for Pigotts. We’re basically doing nothing and expecting everything,” the former fast bowler said.

Benjamin currently coaches the Pigotts Crushers in the ABCA Two Day Championships.

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