Cricket West Indies to reform cricket in the country, Specialist coaches, coordination with franchises part of overhaul plan

Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara, Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Ramnaresh Sarwan are part of Cricket West Indies’ cricket committee.

Cricket West Indies is all set to put a pedal on the fresh start of cricket in the West Indies. As per the reports in ESPNCricinfo, it is learned that cricket strategy and officiating committee, which includes former legends and current leaders, has identified key areas of focus to raise the standard of cricket.

The commitee has devised a plan to raise focus on cricket in short- and long-term actions. According to the CWI, there will be specialist coaches, along with a “state-of-the-art” high-performance centre. Not only this, the governing body will also be working in close coordination with franchises so that fitness of the players can be monitored as well.

The committee which includes Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara, Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Ramnaresh Sarwan was formed in July after the West Indies got out for 27 against Australia in Kingston, Jamaica. With cricket in the West Indies going down, the major issues were listed during the meeting, which are:

• Declining quality of regional tournaments
• Technical, tactical, and mental skills deficiencies
• Underperforming franchise system
• Gaps in infrastructure and facilities
• Lack of specialist coaching support
• Limited ICC revenue share and financial constraints
• Fragmented player development pathways
• Inadequate fitness and conditioning standards

Cricket West Indies devises long-term action

On a short term, “an internationally proven batting coach will be hired to work across the system, and a full-time sports psychologist/performance coach will join the senior men’s team.” Also, the women’s team role will also be upgraded to a full-time role.

CWI also stated that: “a capital [high-performance] project proposal will be advanced for a state-of-the-art facility at Coolidge Cricket Ground, including modern nets, gym, and rehabilitation infrastructure”, and “franchise teams will now submit individual development plans and meet new minimum standards” with player fitness “closely tracked, supported by a new regional fitness leaderboard”.

The long-term action devised by the committee is: 

• A national cricket development framework unifying grassroots, school, academy, and high-performance pathways
• Comprehensive franchise reform to ensure accountability for player development and consideration of alternative professional models
• Establishment of standardised academies for ages 11-18 to feed into the high-performance programme
• Completion of the high-performance centre in Antigua as the regional hub for elite development
• Greater focus on financial sustainability, including lobbying for equitable ICC revenue distribution and new partnerships with governments, private entities, and philanthropists
• A structured mentorship framework connecting current and former West Indies players with emerging talent

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