-regional four day tournament to be one round affair

To accommodate renewed international competition for the West Indies ‘A’ team, the regional first-class tournament is to revert to one round from next season after a year of home-and-away return matches.

Tony Cozier

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive Ernest Hilaire said yesterday that his proposal to that effect had been accepted by the board and that he was working on series for the ‘A’ team next year against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh at home and Sri Lanka and Australia away.

“We need to sit down with WIPA (the West Indies Players Association) and clear out that schedule before making any announcement about dates but I’m hopeful that we can get ‘A’ tours going again to give our up-and-coming players an early taste of international cricket,” he said.

Hilaire anticipated that the ‘A’ series against Zimbabwe, which comes to the Caribbean for an ODI series in March, and Bangladesh could be staged after the regional tournament is over. Tours to Sri Lanka and Australia would be later in the year during their seasons.

“The board has recently placed 33 players on year-long contracts,” he said. “Many are clearly our next generation and they need to hone their talent with exposure to international cricket.”

He conceded that the idea of more cricket, as provided by return matches, initially seemed desirable but said it was felt that it did not achieve its purpose.

“When, by the ninth round, it is obvious that only two or three teams are in with a chance of the title, interest among the players tends to wane,” he said. “That isn’t good for the cricket”.

He contended that the ‘A’ team would give the best players on the edge of the senior team more relevant experience.

The 2009 first-class tournament of 42 matches spread over 14 rounds was not sponsored and cost the WICB $3.5 million to stage, he revealed.

“The board felt that half this money can be more effectively used in financing the ‘A’ team,” he said.

While other countries regard such series are key to the development of their young players – the other nine full members of ICC have each had at least two this year – the West Indies have been limited to four in the past nine years.

England ‘A’ came in 2006 for a bi-lateral series. West Indies ‘A’ went to England in 2002 on what was a turbulent tour typified by indiscipline and to Sri Lanka in 2005 which was disrupted by a players’ strike.

The ‘A’ teams of England, Bangladesh, India and Kenya participated in the regional first-class Busta Cup between 2001 and 2004.