By Keith Holder
Chairman of the Barbados youth selection committee Elvis Howard has expressed confidence in the Bico Barbados team winning the title again at the West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 Championship in Antigua, April 4 to 12.
The experienced Howard spoke with columnist Keith Holder.
HOLDER: How confident are you of Barbados capturing the title again?
HOWARD: Judging from what I have seen over the past two months preparation-wise leading into the tournament, I am quietly confident that we can be winners again but it will not be easy.
Unlike previous years the tournament this time around is a 15 and under one. It means, therefore, all the players from last year were eligible. However, we have three newcomers in Seth Smith, Jahidi Hinds and Javed Worrell. They have replaced Antoine Darlington, Jordan Graham and Malique Aimey.
HOLDER: Can you give us a who’s who of the team?
HOWARD: Raphael Lovell (Captain, Queen’s College).
Left-hand bat/left-arm spinner. He is expected to feature in the middle order where he can dictate the pace of the game. His spin bowling will be crucial at any stage of the game.
Gadson Bowens (Vice-captain, Graydon Sealy). Left-hand bat/off-spin bowler/wicketkeeper. An attacking opener who likes to play shots from early. He got the only century in the trials. A more than useful off-spinner and keeper. He knows he has to lay the foundation for the side.
Damarko Wiggins (Lodge). Left-hand bat/off spinner/wicketkeeper. A free-scoring top order batsman who is good on both sides of the wicket, and a good player of spin. Another of the many versatile players in the set up.
Kemar Dixon (St. Leonard’s). Left-hand batsman.
An exciting player to watch, who is unafraid to play his shots including reverse sweeps. He had a good tournament last year at the top of the order.
Shem Sargeant (Lodge). Right-hand bat/wicketkeeper. A good player, both defensive and attacking-wise. He favours the back foot due to his height. Did well last year opening the batting. He likes to stand up to the stumps to medium-pacers.
Seth Smith (Queen’s College). Right-hand bat/wicketkeeper. He was consistent during the trials and scored his runs at a good clip. His glove work was very neat and tidy throughout especially cleaning up throws from the outfield. He will share the duties with Sargeant.
Akobi Crichlow-Byer (Foundation). Off-spinner/right-hand bat. Last year’s tournament MVP. He was again a shining light in the trial matches and sent a signal with a five-wicket haul in the final warm-up game. His strength aside from bowling tight is that he picks up wickets as well. He gave a glimpse of his little known batting ability with a knock of 30-odd in a trial match.
Javed Worrell (Combermere). Leg-spinner/right-hand bat. He has made elevation from reserve last year after bowling consistently well and tight, with good variation during the games.
Justin Parris (Combermere). Left-hand bat/leg-spinner. The baby of the team who debuted at 12 years last year, he has gained some power despite his tiny size. He is going to be a very important player around No. 6 and 7. His leg-spin is an asset.
R’Jai Gittens (Combermere). Right-arm fast bowler/left-hand bat. One of five pacers in the side, his role with the ball at the top and end of the innings will be critical. He is more than useful with the bat and one expects him to do well overall.
Jahidi Hinds (Combermere). Right-hand bat/right-arm medium-pacer. He is up from the reserves after bowling very well during the trial matches and was one of the leading wicket-takers. He is expected to shoe-in as one of the all-rounders with his steady batting also.
Jakeem Pollard (Princess Margaret). Left-arm fast bowler/left-hand bat. He did very well in last year’s tournament picking up wickets early with the new ball. One great feature about his bowing is the ability to nip the ball back into right-handers. He is another of the players expected to add impetus to the late order with his attacking batting style.
Jayden Chase (St. Leonard’s). Right-arm fast bowler/ right-hand bat. Easily the fastest bowler on show in last year’s tournament, he has not lost any of his aggression as shown during the trials. Expect him to be used in short bursts which could be exciting and rewarding knowing he loves to bowl bouncers.
Reynaldo Bourne (Foundation). Right-arm medium-pacer/ right-hand bat. Good all-rounder in the making. He goes about his work in a quiet manner and gets the ball to outswing nicely. His batting continues to improve and it will give the side much-needed depth.
Management: Roderick Estwick (head coach), Clint St. Hill (assistant coach), Jason Haynes (manager), Khevyn Williams (physiotherapist).
HOLDER: What aspects of the trial matches impressed you?
HOWARD: The camaraderie among the 56 players involved despite that only 14 can travel in the final analysis. The players, as expected, were rusty at the start but got better as more matches were played. The fact that teams batted out the allotted 50 overs more than half the time was very encouraging also. There was a deep sense of competitiveness through all the matches in all aspects.
HOLDER: How long have you been the chairman of the Barbados Youth selection committee and how challenging is the job?
HOWARD: I have been the chairman since early 2016 and it has been a very fruitful journey thus far. We have won all regional youth competitions except the Under-19 three-day but we reached that final last year.
The records will show we have won the Under-15 title three times during this period, placed second once and third on the other occasion. NB: There was no tournament in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.
Trust me, the only major challenge comes during the summer when the national Under-19 and 17 teams travel for regional tournaments. We then have to seek replacements for them for our local tournaments and it takes a lot of communication between the coaches/PE teachers and myself at the various schools. Sometimes we have to ensure players don’t start a match with their school in order to be eligible for selection for Barbados Youth. However, importantly we have had good numbers attending practice sessions so it is not a case of just picking a player for picking sake.
HOLDER: Who are the other selectors?
HOWARD: Jason Haynes, Dexter Toppin, Richard Straker, Sherwin Campbell and Henderson Broomes.
HOLDER: In relation to the trial matches and general preparation, how have you found the interest of parents and other supporters?
HOWARD: The trial matches ran very smoothly as usual, thanks very much to the Cricket Operations Department of the BCA, which includes Ms. Nicola Greaves, who is assigned to the Under-15 cohorts.
I love the format that we used this year, where we had 56 players spread across four teams. Each team played three matches and there was a final game involving a “Best of Best 30”. Ahead of the tournament there was a two-week camp, which included two warm-up matches, which produced the types of performances we wanted.
The parents and family support for the boys was always there but it has gotten even bigger and better and I find there are very closely knit. It is a common thing now where they don’t only attend practice and matches at home but they also travel overseas in their numbers with shirts carrying their children/guardians’ names at the back.
HOLDER: Are there any regrets since taking up the post as chairman of the Youth selection committee?
HOWARD: Certainly. I have never been given the chance to travel overseas to see the team in action. Why not? I don’t know.
HOLDER: What is your relationship like with the players?
HOWARD: Extremely good. I have the benefit of working in the school system all my life and I also coach cricket and was a one–time manager of the Barbados Under-17 side led by Jason Holder in 2008.
I make it my business to attend practice and when I see it fit I mingle and have discussions with players. I try to get a sense of understanding to find out from them why they want to represent Barbados.
Also I am very big on the marriage between schoolwork and cricket. They should always go hand in hand.
HOLDER: What is the biggest joy of your tenure?
HOWARD: To see players who have developed holistically. The players who have gone on to the international and first-class level. During the period, we have produced a number of players who have participated in the last three Under-19 World Cups.
HOLDER: What has been the key for the panel’s success?
HOWARD: Simple. Respect for each other’s opinion, transparency and collective responsibility. We all put our various strengths into one pot and it has come out sumptuous.
Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and International cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (rebranded Elite in 2012) Championship for four decades and provides statistics and stories for the BCA website (www.barbadoscricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com
