SVGCA Inc – Time to close for Stocktaking

Like any good business practice, the executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association, should shut up shop, and boldly declare: “ Closed for Stocktaking”.

That is the predicament that the sport has found itself in at this juncture.

The sign posts have been erected for some time, but little attention was cast in that direction.

But, the continued decline in the performance and subsequent placings of our national teams starting last October- St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Senior Men’s Team placed last in the Winlott Inc. Super- 50 championships, held here on home soil- showed the Vincentians winning a solitary match, with the consolation of having one rained out.

Back as host last December, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Under-15 lads, followed suit and also ended in the last position in a similar 50 over exercise among the four Windward Islands.

Fast forward to February, 2024, when the women journeyed to Grenada for the 50 overs as well as the T/20 championships. On both outings, the Vincentian women outfit recorded one win each, placing third in both formats.

Most recently, the Under-19s were in Dominica, and they too maintained the conundrum, as they lost all six matches in the 50 overs championships.

Results matter, therefore, having all representative outfits not doing well at the same time is a clearreflection that we are not doing well here administratively.

Conversely, blame must not fall squarely on the shoulders of those called to represent the country.

It is even more worrying that the Under-15s and Under-19s, who are the next generations in the progressive line of cricketers, are comparatively lacking the cricketing skill sets necessary to better their counterparts from Grenada, Dominica and Saint Lucia.

Compounding St Vincent and the Grenadines’ position is that the preceding titles were shared among the other three cricketing territories, as Saint Lucia won the Senior Men’, and the Double’s title among the women; Dominica claimed the Under-15; and Grenada won all six matches in the Under- 19 championships.

Zooming in on the Under-19 which for all intents and purposes signal the next best products in stock, unfortunately, despite most of the players returning from last year’s sojourn when they placed second to St Lucia, they were woefully inefficient, especially in the batting department.

This is reflected in scores of 113, 150, 188, 99, 156 and 191. More precisely, St Vincent and the Grenadines was the lone team not to go past 200.

Additionally, the top batter scored 114 in aggregate, whilst one batter, who is more known for his fast bowling, had the team’s highest individual score- 59.

This is indeed a sad state of affairs for our cricket, which once was the dominant force in all age groups of the Windward Islands’ Championships.

And it all boils down to the focus of those elected in positions of the SVGCA Inc. for the past three terms, who have given the spectator and media hype- Vincy Premier League(VPL), their all, rather than focus on coaching and infrastructural enhancement.

But it has to be an extended bout of lethargy, oblivion and sheer nonchalance for the cricket administrators over the past five years not to have taken notice of the warning signs.

And, it is not for lack of finances. Unlike other sporting disciplines, save and except Football, the SVG Cricket Association Inc. is not hand to mouth.

In fact, that organisation is well to do, but priority lies in their self- inflicted mandate of keeping the books healthy, whilst the sport bleeds profusely, lacks nurturing and is declining into insignificance.