SECOND vice-president of the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) Lalman Kowlessar feels there is a dire need for the structure of cricket to change in TT if the country is to do well in regional four-day tournaments.
The national youth selector who has been very critical of the TT players performances in the longer version said they are not to be blamed solely for their poor showing. He said while they could do a lot better especially the batsmen out in the middle, he feels the system has groomed them in a certain way.
“The club structure and the school structure all have to change. We are all geared for the limited over matches and that is why we are doing so well in the T20 matches and 50-over tournaments, but this is just fun cricket. The ultimate is four-day and test cricket, you can’t use 50 overs and T20 matches as a yard stick,” said Kowlessar.
He said the problem starts with the grass root and until it could be corrected, the results will be the same. “There are two tournaments for the U-19’s, one is a 50-overs and the other is a T20 so the boys are not being prepared properly for the longer version of the game. Then the cricket board has a two-day tournament for the same U-19 before they head back to their clubs to play in another two-day tournament. When the players hear a two day tournament they are playing it like 50 over matches and so they are not being prepared properly,” said the TTCB second vice-president.
The youth selector feels it is time for the return of the three day format of the game. “I think we should cut the number of teams playing in the premiership and just scrap the two-day tournament and make it three-days. We need to play cricket that will help the players prepare properly for the longer version of the game and not focus all the attention on the shorter version. While people are saying it will cost too much money, I think this is the way to go. If we want to get results, we have to spend money.” said Kowlessar.
TT suffered defeats in three of their four day matches this season, going down to the Windward Islands by 10 wickets and Jamaica by 93 runs, with both matches finishing inside three days. Their 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Barbados was the most embarrassing as they lost at home inside of two days. Nevertheless the twin island team has still qualified for the semifinal and will face Jamaica at home from April 25th.