#BTSpeakingOut – Let the veterans coach cricket

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

by Alfred Alleyne

I refer to your topic as printed in the 26 January 2023 edition of your paper. I fully support the subject submission by Courtney Selman.

The approach he correctly explained is not new. As a student of the Parkinson Memorial School, I benefited from the said program. Former West Indies and Barbados cricketers were employed to visit the school and conduct coaching sessions.

The results of those sessions were evident in the high level of skills displayed in the Inter-School (Ronald Tree) Competitions.

Timothy Boyce and the late Malcolm Marshall are some graduates of that system of coaching.

In addition, I suggest that limited-overs cricket be excluded from the format at primary schools and that only two-innings matches be played.

There is also a mental development element in playing matches whereby competing teams can play for the pride of drawing a match even after losing a first innings lead.