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CWI challenged

by Barbados Today
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Cricket West Indies (CWI) has not paid enough attention to the annual Sir Garfield Sobers Schools Competition, says Vernon Springer, Director of Cricket Operations for the Leeward Islands Cricket Board. 

Springer who is responsible for development in the Leeward Islands professional franchise for both men and women, suggested that after the Coronavirus pandemic CWI should send a scout or two to watch the tournament when it recommences. 

Currently doing cricket commentary in Antigua where the CG Super50 tournament is being played, Springer who in the past hosted a regional 13 and under competition told Barbados TODAY he was working on the tournament’s revival.

“Let us look at the Sir Garfield Sobers competition in Barbados. I don’t think that Cricket West Indies selectors has paid enough attention to the Sir Garfield Sobers Schools competition. It is not every player that is going to make a Barbados team, a Jamaica team, a Leeward (Islands) team or vice-versa.

“But there are players who are going to play for their respective school teams, who are going to participate in the Sir Garfield Sobers competition. And so I feel that Cricket West Indies going forward needs to send a scout or two to also look at the Sir Garfield Sobers tournament right after the pandemic. Once it gets a chance to be played.

“Why? You have to be able to visualise all the talent you have in the West Indies. So, you can’t say ‘oh well, we have an under 15 tournament and that is the talent. Oh, we have an under-17 tournament and that is the talent.’  So, if you don’t play for your country, we don’t look at you. We only have five million people to select from as compared to India who has 1.7 billion people to select from,” Springer said. 

He added: “You need to put systems in place and give boys and girls an opportunity where they are looked at. The Sir Garfield Sobers competition has been running for a period of time. But we maybe never had a graduate or somebody come and pay attention seriously from the Cricket West Indies selection panel, to say, ‘hey, I saw some talent at that competition’. We pick the best ten, 15 youngsters and we organise a camp for them. We have to support all of the systems that are in place in the Caribbean because there is a lot of talent that we have not seen.”

While Springer is pushing for attention to be paid to the Sir Garfield Sobers tournament, he also has not given up on his brainchild – the 13 and under regional cricket competition that has produced many outstanding West Indies cricketers.

A strong believer in youth development, Springer revealed that he approached the Caribbean Premier League organizers with the hope of getting them to buy into the idea of investing in the 13 and under competition. 

“That is something we have been pushing. I have been trying to see if I could have a conversation in the last couple of years with CPL. I was saying to them, you are coming to the Caribbean, there needs to be a legacy from the CPL organizers for development. And if you want to produce the next Kieron Pollard or the next Dwayne Bravo, the investment should be made in the 13 and under tournament.

“I think what has actually been happening there has been some folks around who have been advising them to maybe not go down that road. If you want anything to grow then it needs to start at the base. We are just hoping that another Bravo, another Pollard, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jason Holder is going to come out of the sky. 

“It takes about 15 years to produce a champion and most of the guys who would have played in the St. Kitts and Nevis 13 and under over the years, if you check their ages, they are between 26, 27, 28 as we speak. The Shamarh Brooks, Carlos Brathwaite, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Kieran Powell, all those guys would have started like 12, 15 years ago and they are now 27, 28,” Springer explained.

He further contended that the issue in the Caribbean was that people wanted things “ready done” and did not help to plan the pathway for the region’s athletes.

“While other countries plan the pathways for athletes, the West Indies is just looking for success straight away. Even though I have now retired from the government of St. Kitts and Nevis and working for the Leeward Islands Cricket Board, I have always been pushing CPL.

“I even made a presentation of a model to them in terms of them investing back into the 13 and under competition that would help the region. I have not eased up, I will still continue to advocate for it because I believe there is a need for a competition of that nature,” Springer said.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb

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