By Kimberley Cummins
The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) is not concerned that some of Barbados’ best youth cricketers have been opting to play for England rather than for Barbados’ senior national team as a possible route to future West Indies selection.
In fact, BCA president Conde Riley believes that because these players “could walk straight into any English team”, it speaks volumes about the quality of the BCA’s development programmes at the youth level.
Riley’s comments come in the wake of Barbados-born all-rounder Jacob Bethell’s outstanding performance during the recently concluded Under-19 ICC World Cup where he played for his adopted homeland England. The 18-year-old vice-captain, who represented Barbados in youth cricket, shone as he assisted England into the final for the first time in 24 years. England were eventual runners-up to champions India.
Bethell is among a handful of young West Indian-born cricketers including fast bowler Jofra Archer, with family ties to the United Kingdom, that have seized on opportunities to represent England instead of donning the regional maroon.
During an interview with BBC Sport, Bethell reasoned that the opportunities to play cricket professionally in the Caribbean get less and less around the ages of 13 to 15, hence the spur to migrate and seek chances elsewhere. He said the lack of opportunities was a “bit of a shame”.
Also addressing the “exodus” of young talent, former outstanding Barbados cricketer Franklyn Stephenson blamed the BCA for what he characterised as a dearth of opportunities for young local cricketers and why many did not see a future for themselves in the Caribbean.
However, in an interview with Barbados TODAY Riley expressed no worry about the loss of some young players to England and any affect it could have on the future of Barbados and West Indies cricket. He defended the structure of cricket in Barbados and assured that there were many opportunities to play the sport.
Riley outlined that at the junior level young cricketers have played in the Herman Griffith Primary Schools’ Cricket Competition, the Everton Weekes Under-13 Limited Overs Competition, and also at under-15 and under-19 levels. He said these age-group competitions were available to young players before having the opportunity to be picked to represent Barbados in regional competitions, which could lead to them being selected to represent West Indies.
He said the BCA could not contract a minor and even if it could, the association would never try to hinder individuals from seeking opportunities which they believe would be more beneficial to them.
“There is nothing we can do at this time to stop a guy from going to play for England. That gives another guy in the Caribbean an opportunity to play for Barbados,” he said.
Riley reminded that West Indies and Barbados-born talent eyeing a future in the sport outside of the island was nothing new. In addition to Archer and Bethell, he made reference to former Combermerians Ricardo Elcock and Gladstone Small who also migrated to England and, in the case of Small, subsequently played for that country. Small played 17 Tests and 53 One-Day International for England. However, after being selected to tour the Caribbean with the 1989-90 England side, a stress fracture of the back brought Elcock’s tour to an abrupt end and injury eventually ended his cricket career at age 27.
“So, this has been going on for a while, nothing to be surprised about. It tells me and tells us at the BCA that we have a very good junior programme that is attractive and we develop good young cricketers,” Riley stressed.
“As you would recall, in 2016 when the Under-19 World Cup was played in Bangladesh we had a number of Barbadians in that team, so it is nothing surprising, it is all about opportunities. We have the same opportunities here, we may not have as many as England because of the size – they have county cricket, we have regional cricket.
“We wish them well. I hope they stay fit and enjoy the career that they have chosen and make some money and enjoy their lives. No need to stop them and I wouldn’t want to stop them,” Riley added.
