Sticky wicket for SVGCA

The newly installed Executive of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association (SVGCA) and indeed the entire Cricket fraternity will admit unreservedly that the sport is suffering from stagnation.{{more}}

Therefore, the challenge is before all to take Cricket out of its current state.

But, like every challenge, there are some mountainous and treacherous terrains to first navigate.

The course of Cricket, though, has been made so by some carefully designed architectural plans to keep the sport infirm, by just placing emphasis on staging the annual local competitions, participating in the various Windward Islands competitions, hosting regional matches and One Day Internationals.

Local Cricket’s pathway, the administration’s area of excellence, will soon be tested.

Even in the face of a vote of confidence, the Julian Jack led Executive, may have to use its creative wisdom to make its local competitions viable.

So, the table has been set for Jack and company to convince business entities to put some financial backing into its competitions, and develop a lasting relationship with them.

Uphill it may be, as certainly there is little mileage to get from local competitions, as they are basically to say you have them, and form the basis for the selection of national teams.

Finding its way in the mix is that the SVGCA will be hard pressed this time around to find venues, the continuous battle for facilities ensues.

That hunky dory approach of a bound relationship with the custodians of the fields has worked up to a point. Now the few fruits that were propagated are no longer bearing.

Plus, there has been little by way of structured development of our cricketers towards becoming more than just the average player who will make it unto the St. Vincent and the Grenadines team, and possibly move to a Windwards representative outfit.

Sadly, none of the areas, Male Under-15, Male Under-19, Senior Male and the Women’s game in total have escaped the dragnet of incompetence and neglect.

Having three teams participating in your national Women’s Tournament is farcical and forever retards the sport. Hence, the reason why we are unable to get over the bogey of consistently beating teams like Trinidad and Tobago.

Also critical in the improvement of the women’s game is the advancement in age of the current team, which does not augur well for much hope in the near future.

The power holders of Cricket here cannot be blinded by the fact that St. Vincent and the Grenadines has held its own in regional Women’s Cricket for sometime, but they must see that the end is not far off.

Lessons are there to be learnt from the other territories, which invested in young and emerging talents, and who today are the leaders of their respective teams. Here, Barbados and Jamaica are perfect examples of forward thinking and planning.

It should, therefore, be high on the agenda of the new Executive to ensure that the units which participate in its competitions have some semblance of a managerial structure, with the ultimate aim of forming clubs.

By doing this, units can attract players, ensure continuity and add value to the organizational structure.

The SVGCA must, too, look at its overall image and the way things are done. It must be a travesty of inexcusable proportion that in 2011,like at last Saturday’s elections, was conducted in that archaic manner, of persons turning up to the meeting, looking around in the room, and nominating someone to vye for a position on the Executive.

This sort of operations says a lot as to how far we have not taken seriously, the administration of the sport.

How can one attract persons to serve in such an ad hoc manner?

Additionally, in going forward and for reform, I also hold the view that the life of an Executive be moved from the two year as it stands, to a four year period. This ought to engender long term planning and implementation of policies.

In summary, the administration of Cricket here itself needs an overhaul, which cannot be properly ventilated in this forum.

Also on a sticky wicket is the Mound at the Sion Hill Playing Field.