Wayne Yarde, the new president of the Barbados Cricket League (BCL), wants the game to return to the community again.
And in an effort to address the falling number of teams, the 2025 season is expected to start as early as January.
Yarde, who previously served as treasurer, was elected unopposed as president at the annual general meeting on Wednesday at the National Sports Council in My Lord’s Hill, St Michael.
Glyne St Hill, who was president for over two decades, did not seek re-election.
Affectionately known as Crampy, Yarde has been associated with the BCL since the 1970’s when he was a student at Boys’ Foundation School and helped to form the Rendezvous Sports Club, which played in the BCL competition.
As a medium-pace bowler, Yarde represented Foundation in Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) competitions before turning out for Pickwick in the First (rebranded Elite in 2012) Division Championship.
Yarde spoke to this columnist about his plans to help improve the BCL.
HOLDER: Heartiest congratulations on being elected as the new president of the BCL. At a time when the BCL is facing a decline in the number of teams, how do you intend to address the matter?
YARDE: Thank you very much Keith. I am looking forward to the challenge of restoring the BCL to its glory days.
We know how and why the BCL was formed and we are trying as much as possible to have cricket being the heart of the community again. One of the ways of doing this is by starting our season early next year in January.
HOLDER: What benefits do you anticipate from starting so early?
YARDE: We found that over the years we were competing with the BCA. Some BCL players moved to BCA clubs and some BCL clubs joined the BCA. We were losing players and clubs to the BCA.
When we have our T20 competitions, you will find that the clubs in the community are able to pull players from the BCA to represent their home clubs where they live.
So to continue this community spirit, we want to start our season in January where all the players from the community, both BCL and BCA, will be available.
HOLDER: How long do you expect the season to run for?
YARDE: We will start with our two-day competition and that should run until about April or May. Then we go into our T20 to be played on Sundays. Hopefully we will be able at some stage to get into other competitions such as six-a-side and double-wicket. We want to create activity in the communities.
HOLDER: How long have you been associated with the BCL and what positions have you held on the Board of Management?
YARDE: While at Foundation School in the 1970’s, I helped to form the Rendezvous Sports Club, which played in the BCL competition. Among the members were the Beckles brothers, Hensford and Charles, O’Brian Waithe, and my schoolmate Kenmore Bynoe. That’s when my BCL journey started.
When available I played for Rendezvous. After leaving school I represented Pickwick Club for many years, while still being a member of Rendezvous.
I have been on the BCL Board for roughly 10 years and served as treasurer for about seven years.
HOLDER: How many teams are there now in the BCL?
YARDE: There were 16 teams for the 2024 season, the lowest number ever. But I guess with an early start in January, the number will increase. You may find that a few schools and clubs may want to join to prepare themselves for the BCA season.
HOLDER: What do you believe has been the reason for the decline in the number of teams?
YARDE: In the early years of the BCL, there were primary schools with students up to Class 7. So a lot of the older students represented clubs in their home villages. Since then more secondary schools were built and the transition of all primary school students to secondary schools became standard at the age of 11 since there were no longer senior classes.
And the newer secondary schools had cricket teams taking part in the BCA competition. So the BCL started to lose players and that was part of an exodus of teams.
Then with the upgrading of facilities at most grounds through the National Sports Council, it was easier for clubs to be accepted by the BCA. In addition, the BCA offers free balls, free gear, and pay fees for umpires. So some BCL clubs moved to the BCA.
The communities are not like before. Community centres were fully utilised years ago. Now that community spirit is somewhat lacking and we are hoping that the BCL can be in the forefront of bringing about that community spirit again.
HOLDER: What is the financial status of the BCL and how do you intend to raise funds?
YARDE: We are not strong financially. We are hoping that with an early start to the season we can get the media to focus on the BCL in a bigger way.
This exposure could encourage sponsorship as sponsors can get more mileage.
HOLDER: How would you describe the relationship between the BCL and BCA?
YARDE: We always meet with the BCA as we share some grounds where matches are played. We intend to make sure that a healthy relationship is maintained.
HOLDER: You have taken over as president from veteran Glyne St Hill. What was it like working with him?
YARDE: Glyne served as president for over 20 years and it was due to his effort that the BCL still exists today. During his tenure we saw the changes in society that affected the BCL and he was able to still rally through those tough times.
We are grateful for Mr St Hill’s effort in keeping the BCL afloat. I know I have someone to turn to if we need any assistance.
HOLDER: The BCL has just lost a dedicated servant in former long-standing zone secretary Christopher McCollin. Tell us about his contribution to the BCL.
YARDE: Chris did yeoman service for the BCL. It is hard to put a value to it. He ensured there was a smooth running of competitions. He was excellent with organising the fixtures and he worked closely with the BCA in this regard.
What was phenomenal about Chris was that he knew telephone numbers of every club captain and former BCL stalwarts. He could just rattle off their numbers from the top of his head. It was amazing. I was shocked the first time I came across that.
Years ago we honoured former BCL players and Chris was able to provide names, numbers and addresses with no effort. He had a fantastic memory.
At our next Board meeting we will be discussing a special way to honour Mr McCollin.
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 over four decades and provides statistics and stories for the BCA website (www.barbadoscricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com
