WHAT is the TT Cricket Board doing for the improvement and development of cricket in the country? It doesn’t matter from what angle one views its performance, cricket in this country is not advancing to where it should be at this time. Now, they want to get rid of the TT Cricket Umpires Council (TTCUC), a body that has served faithfully on the TTCB for a number of years, 50 plus. I don’t know if I have missed something, but it is so far without explanation.
There’s a 2023-24 quarterly meeting on August 3 where there is a constitutional amendment being proposed by the TTCB to take away the affiliate member status of the umpires council. Although it requires a two-thirds majority vote to remove them, it could be assumed the lobbying has already been done to successfully pass this amendment.
It is very interesting indeed as to the reasons for this move. For instance, what has the TTCUC done to the TTCB to hurt or upset cricket administration in the land? This must be explained, as information for the move presently, is hard to come by.
The organisation seems to be in the dark itself according to their president, Kellman Kowlessar. A member of this body for more than 50 years, it is passing strange why the TTCB would suddenly object to their presence in the administrative structure of TT’s cricket. The umpires have an important role to play in the decision-making process of the board.
On another matter, the improvement and development of cricketers, the raison d’etre for the existence of the board.
If players have to be developed through a system, then they need people who know the game sufficiently, to gain the knowledge of what is needed to ensure that cricketers, both junior and senior, have the exposure to competent coaches and other personnel in order to improve their game. That does not seem to be the case as our record would show over the years.
Our youngsters are not improving their cricket because of a poor organisation of cricket competitions that would bring forth the talent and skill to develop cricketers. Two-innings cricket is a must at Under-19 and club level if batsmen have to learn to apply themselves and play an innings of substance. That is how they will improve their technique and batting mentality. It cannot happen by the constant changes of coaches, like what has been done over the years.
The dismal record of TT teams in the past, would prove that the executive of the cricket board doesn’t seem to know what they’re doing or what is required to build cricket. To do this, one needs to improve competition at club level. However, no one in the administration seems to know the game sufficiently well to reinvigorate it and our proud nation keeps drifting aimlessly while other territories lift themselves up and move forward like Barbados, which has always been in the top three and Guyana, which has been producing a number of talented players in recent times.
First-class cricket in the Caribbean was arranged for the first time in a league format, in 1966. It was an annual competition, ex
