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Haydn Gill Emmerson Trotman, who was one of Barbados' leading batsman two decades ago, is surprised by the rapid decline of the West Indies team in recent years.

He, however, feels there is enough ability in the region for there to be revival in the immediate future.

Trotman, the first man to score a century in regional limited-overs cricket is in Barbados as coach of the Holland team which is preparing for the forthcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Trophy tournament.

There is talent all over the West Indies and all over Barbados. I am not worried by that at all. If we can come together and unite, we can find a strong side tomorrow,the former Barbados batsman told the Saturday Sun yesterday.

The solution to get back to the top is for all the islands to unite a bit more and come much closer together and think of West Indies cricket and not the individual island.

He was speaking at Kensington Oval during a practice session for the Holland side which is climaxing its build-up for the ICC Trophy in Toronto with two limited-overs matches against a Barbados Select XI at the Oval tomorrow and Monday.

The 46-year-old Trotman, who played 21 first-class matches for Barbados between 1975 and 1982 before heading off to South Africa with West Indies Rebel teams, is well remembered for his unbeaten 100 in a Gillette Cup match for Barbados against Guyana at Bourda. It went down in the history books as the first three-digit score in regional limited-overs competitions.

In addition, he scored two first-class hundreds for Barbados and averaged 37.52. The aggressive right-hander headed the island's batting averages in the 1980 and 1981 Shell Shield, but a host of high-quality players in the region at the time prevented him from going onto international level when the West Indies were just about starting to dominate the world stage.

Since those days, he has played professionally in Holland and South Africa, but still follows West Indies' cricket closely.

It's in my blood. I can't give it up, he said. (But) I am surprised that we have taken a knock for such a long time. All countries go through that.

People say it's about politics but I don't agree. It's a lot to do with finance.

Trotman, coach of Holland for the past four years, also made reference to places like Australia which had the financial resources to develop an academy.

That's where they got their breathing ground from. But in the West Indies, we never had that.

We were just very proud sportspeople we are still so we just enjoyed winning and we kept playing our strongest side every time.

We did neglect quite a few youngsters coming through at that time as well.

Trotman, who subsequently played most of his first-class cricket for Border in South Africa's Currie Cup, represented Barbados when his teammates included Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Carlisle Best, Alvin Greenidge, Collis King, Thelston Payne, David Murray, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, David Holford, Albert Padmore, Sylvester Clarke and Wayne Daniel.

Each of those played for the West Indies, so he finds it difficult to understand why Barbados does not have a bigger presence in the regional side these days.

Trotman scored nine first-class hundreds and 4 495 runs (ave. 37.77) in 76 matches.

© The Barbados Nation