CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Within the coming weeks, the restructured Busta Cricket Series 2001 will unfold across the region, heralding a new and exciting direction for Caribbean cricket.

It is fitting that these changes to our cricket product are taking place at the dawn of a new millennium as the world prepares to accept the challenges and advantages of globalisation and increasingly-swift technological advances.

West Indies cricket, if it is not be left out in the cold, must keep pace with the rate and nature of change in the sport, particularly in view of the competition which other sports are giving cricket to gain the favour of Caribbean youths.

One of the cries which has been heard from once promising cricketers when asked why they stopped playing cricket or why they lost enthusiasm for the game was that they were constantly overlooked for national selection. Of course, the reality that they have to work and support themselves, and perhaps families, is another much-voiced factor for the decline in their concentration on cricket.

Obviously, only a certain number of players can be picked for national duty at the senior level and with the dominance of particular individuals in certain regional teams it means that, in some of their best years, some young cricketers may never get a chance to represent their country.

However, this season, some of them have another avenue to showcase their on-field talent in the West Indies 'B' team. This developmental step, we expect, will do no end of good to improve the standard of cricket among those whom we hope will be in the vanguard of West Indies cricket's resurgence.

A number of the personalities in the West Indies 'B' team have already experienced national duty at a junior level, or as in the cases of -Wayne Phillip (Windward Islands), Sulieman Benn (Barbados) and Rodney Sooklal (Trinidad and Tobago) - national duty at senior level. Kenroy Peters was part of the Windward Islands' victorious Red Stripe Bowl team, while Trinidadian Zaheer Ali made the national squad last year but not the final XI. These young men are clearly prospects for the future and now they have the perfect opportunity to gain even greater prominence. The spectacle of them competing against the traditional regional sides as well as special invitees, England 'A', should be quite intriguing. As our chief executive officer Gregory Shillingford disclosed at the launch of the 2001 Busta series in Trinidad last week, other cricketing nations are acknowledging the benefit of exposing their players to rising talents from elsewhere. To that extent, West Indies 'A' teams are likely to be in action in national competitions in other countries and other 'A' teams are expected to be invited to our regional four-day tournament.

WICB President Pat Rousseau has noted that this global mindset towards the Busta Cricket Series tournament has set the stage for exciting cricket. In addition, the numerous bonuses on offer in this new two-tiered system should inspire cricketers to give of their best.

Under the restructured format, the six traditional teams will vie for the Busta Cup and the title of regional champions, and these six, plus West Indies 'B' and England 'A', are eligible to win the Busta International Shield. The Busta Cup Champions will receive US$7 000 and the Busta International Shield winners will take home US$10 000.

Caribbean teams - including the WI 'B' team - are being given added reason to excel against England 'A' . An outright win against this side will garner US$5 000 for the particular Caribbean team as well as US$10 000 for its territorial board. Leading England 'A' on first innings points will net US$2 500 for the winning side and US$5 000 for the territorial board.

Apart from US$150 Man-Of-The-Match awards in every game, there are handsome individual series prizes for outstanding Caribbean cricketers: the top bowler (most wickets), top batsman (most runs), top all-rounder and the topfielder (most catches).

Each of these will receive US$1 000. Tournament sponsors, S.M. Jaleel & Company Limited, and the WICB have also instituted preparation funds for all Caribbean teams.

© The Barbados Nation