By Neto Baptiste
Former West Indies fast bowler and president of the Liberta Sports Club, Kenneth Benjamin, is in support of a proposed move by the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) to allow unvaccinated players to compete in the Super 40 competition.
Cricket association head Leon Rodney said on Tuesday that unvaccinated players who provide negative tests will be allowed to turn out for their teams during the competition, despite government protocols stipulating that all players and officials must be fully vaccinated.
“There is no state of emergency anymore and the government said that to go back to work, to go to school. So they are saying that to live your normal life and government don’t have a problem with it you either take the vaccine or do two tests per month, and I think that supersedes everything else. Schools sports will start at the end of the month; there are children who are going to play school sports that are not vaccinated but they will take their two tests per month because they have to go to school so that has to be the norm,” he said.
The Super 40 competition is slated to bowl off on Saturday with five matches at various.
Benjamin said his team’s preparations are ongoing and that players have been turning out on a consistent basis.
“The guys have been coming out, the fitness is a little bit behind, but in terms of the cricket, that will come as you continue. But I am quite pleased because we have 14 to 15 every afternoon so it is not bad. We are actually looking forward to it because we believe we can be a little more competitive than last year so we are looking forward to the challenge,” he said.
On Saturday, Pigotts Crushers face PIC Liberta Blackhawks at Pigotts; Bolans face All Saints Pythons in Bolans; Rising Sun Spartans take on Jennings at Rising Sun; CUB Bethesda Golden Eagles toss up against Empire Nation at Bethesda; and Combined Schools take on New Winthorpes Lions.