By Neto Baptiste
Iconic former fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose believes national cricket boards can do more for the development of the game across the region.
The Antiguan, who is coming off a successful stint with Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), said the respective boards must invest more in grassroots cricket in an effort to develop and prepare local talent for the next level.
“It’s not about Cricket West Indies alone; all the territorial boards need to be onboard to nurture the talent. Cricket West Indies can only do so munch but we, as a regional entity, have to put in our work as well. So, the territorial boards must have some sort of a system in place to help nurture these talents. We just can’t sit and rely on Cricket West Indies to do everything,” he said.
The former bowling coach for the senior West Indies men’s team and the West Indies Under-19s, also highlighted that the system through which players should progress is “broken” and could result in a number of talented individuals falling through the cracks.
“If they don’t get into their regional [national] squads, then at least there is something in place for them to continue to progress, and that’s why I was really happy about the emerging players team because these guys will get a chance to play. When some of them leave and get into their regional teams, then others will come in. We do need a system to operate like that so we don’t lose these players with such talent,” Sir Curtly said.
Youth development in cricket has been a cause for concern here in Antigua and Barbuda as currently there is no national programme for young players and although a Combined Schools team competes annually in the national competition, some have argued its effectiveness in preparing youngsters for the next level.