Sports

CPL’S CEO SPEAKS ABOUT HIS TEAM THE BARBADOS ROYALS

An Advo Magazine Exclusive by David Harris

Chief Executive Officer of Barbados Royals Jake Lush McCrum has described the team’s participation in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as “a fantastic journey”.

In July 2021, the Royals Sports Group owners of the Rajasthan Royals Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket franchise acquired a majority stake in the then Barbados Tridents, as a result of the acquisition, the Tridents were rebranded Barbados Royals.

PL ‘ A FANTA“We have seen a fantastic journey for the Barbados Royals in the CPL so far; when we came on board in July 2021, our primary aim was to bring in a culture that reflects the Royals philosophy across all our teams and our focus on excellence both on and off the field. We have seen tremendous success with our women’s team who started with winning the first crown in 2022 and have not looked back since, securing back-to –back championships in the last two years. On the men’s side, we had a strong showing in 2022 when we went all the way up to the final, but last was not as per expectations. What has been satisfying though is the number of Royals players who have gone on to represent the West Indies across all formats. We have the examples of Obed McCoy, Alick Athanaze, and Nyeem Young who came into the system and have developed exceptionally over the past few years. Obed has represented all three of the Royals franchises, Ramon Simmonds has played in the CPL and the SA20 for us, I am confident that there will be many more in the years to come. As much as we are focused on building a sustainable high-performance environment, we are also trying to grow the game through grassroots initiatives like the Barbados Royals Girls Club”, McCrum told Advo Magazine.

He described last season as bittersweet for the Royals with the women’s team under captaincy of Hayley Matthews winning the Women Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) title and the men captained by Rovman Powell performing poorly.

“There were some late departures from our men’s squad that hurt the balance of our team. We did witness some standout performances from the likes of Rakeem Cornwall and Alick, but we lacked consistency as a unit. We are confident that we will turn it around this season as we have been able to secure some really strong additions to the squad. We have continued to develop talent, push boundaries and work towards establishing ourselves as a dominant force in men’s and women CPL cricket”, he explained.

McCrum said the Royals intended to win the men’s CPL title this year: “We are here to win and entertain, and with a second WCPL trophy under our belt, we are aiming to replicate this success in the men’s competition. We have a high-quality and explosive Caribbean core group that has been bolstered by strong overseas additions. It has been great to see how Alick and Nyeem have developed over the last few years, and Ramon is working hard to get back to his best. The Barbados leg of the CPL was great for us, we won three of the four matches played at Kensington Oval. We have stumbled a bit in Guyana, but I am hoping the team will return to its winning ways in the playoffs”.

Late last year the Royals joined Bat for A Chance launched the Barbados Royals Girls Cricket Club initiative encouraging girls between the ages of six to 14 to play cricket, and according to McCrum, grassroots programs are extremely important to his organization.

“At the Royals Sports Group, our purpose is to transform society. Grassroots initiatives are a key pillar for us. The Barbados Royals Girls Cricket Club is something we are extremely proud of because of our commitment to making an on the society with cricket at the centre of change. We are also committed to growing the game, especially for young girls. We want to create pathways for the next generation of cricketers and to make the sport accessible and fun from a young age. Through initiatives like these we hope to inspire more young girls to take up the sports, fostering the next wave of talent not just for the Royals, but for Barbados and the West Indies. It is crucial that we play our part in empowering these girls and giving them opportunities to develop”, the CEO said.

He disclosed that the Royals Sports Group are always looking for ways to deepen their engagement with the local community and to continue their involvement at the grassroots level.

“We are exploring more initiatives that focus on youth development for both girls and boys. We are providing technical expertise for the development of the High-Performance Centre at Kensington Oval which is a great initiative from KOMI toward building a high-performance culture. We are also keen to build on our existing partnerships, such as the one with Bat for a Chance, to deliver meaningful social impact through the sport”, McCrum said.

“On a broader level, we are working closely with our principal sponsor Invest Barbados, and our partner Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) to ensure that cricket serves as a platform to drive economic and cultural connections globally, bringing more visibility to the island’s opportunity and attracting tourism. With Invest Barbados as our principal sponsor, we are excited to leverage the global reach of the Royals brand to promote Barbados as a prime destination for business and investment”, he added.

McCrum said that cricket has a unique ability to bring people together and through their networks in markets such as India, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates they can create opportunities to showcase the potential of Barbados beyond sports.

“We are committed to being ambassadors for Barbados on the global stage, and if that means facilitating new business ventures or creating connections that benefit the island economically, we are all for it. Our partnership extends beyond cricket, it’s about leveraging the sports to promote Barbados Internationally and create opportunities for the island”, McCrum explained.

He lauded the government and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) for the support they have given the Royals in the past three years.

“We are incredibly grateful to the government of Barbados and the BCA for the huge amount of support they continue to provide to us. They share our vision of not only making the Royals successful on the field but also contributing to the growth of cricket and the economy in Barbados at every level. Our relationship is based on mutual respect, and are constantly looking at ways we can collaborate for the betterment of the sport and the nation”, McCrum said.

Sports

PHILO WALLACE CRITICISES SELECTION METHOD FOR CAPTAIN

by David Harris

Former Barbados and West Indies opening batsman Philo Wallace is critical of the method being used by Cricket West Indies (CWI) to select a captain of the Test team to replace Kraigg Brathwaite who stepped down from the position at the end of March.

The West Indies are scheduled to play a three-match Test series against Australia next month; and six candidates have been interviewed by CWI) as possible replacements for Brathwaite.

The six cricketers have already undergone psychometric test to determine their personality, intelligence, aptitudes, and other psychological characteristics for post. The chosen six are Joshua Da Silva, the Trinadad and Tobago wicketkeeper/batsman, Da Silva was the vice-captain of team in August last year he was dropped when the toured Pakistan earlier this year. John Campbell, the Jamaican left-handed opening batsman who returned to cricket last November following a 22-month ban due to breaching anti-doping rule 2.3 of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission which speaks to evading, refusing or failing to submit sample collections. Jomel Warrican, the St Vincent born left-arm spinner who has lived in Barbados for most of his life. Justin Greaves, the Barbadians all-rounder who plays for the Leeward Islands, and Teven Imlach who captained Guyana to successive regional titles in 2024 and this year.

Chris Dehring the chief executive officer of CWI confirmed that applicants were interviewed for the post while speaking on a cricket radio show last week.

“We have a process; people are being interviewed, they are being scored and then scored again, and then the team will come up with the best captain we think for the job”, Dehring said.

According to Wallace the new process differ from what is normal in West Indies cricket.

“I think the new policy in relation to finding a new West Indies Test captain goes against the grain of West Indies cricket; it might a modern-day practice, but I don’t it is feasible to sit six candidates in a room and give them questionaries or ask them questions about leadership, particularly in cricket. I know we have move on from the 1970s, 1980s, and the 1990s, and we are into a new way of thinking, we have a new dispensation with different types of ideals about West Indies cricket. But cricket is played on the field, and captains must make decisions on the field of play instinctively. Sometimes, depending on the circumstances it could be planned. But most of the time, captains make decisions based on their instinct because plans can go awry. You judge a captain on his character, and ability to deal with pressure; his capacity to outwit the opposition, and how often he uses his acumen to place the team into a winning position to Therefore; I cannot see sitting in a classroom setting and being asked questions by whoever can pinpoint the right person to lead a West Indies Test team”, Wallace told Advo Magazine.

Wallace, a former Barbados captain said that that the captain should have been selected from among the captains of the franchises in the regional Four Dy Tournament.

“The Regional Four-Day Championship. has just concluded, and if CWI is going to appoint a captain, they should have chosen someone that captained a team during the Championship. They have abandoned the policy of three selectors and have implemented talent scouts. I thought that those scouts would have been charged with identifying future West Indies captains and not just players. But that may have been an oversight or not a consideration. So now that Brathwaite has decided to step down from the post, CWI have found themselves in a little pickle not being able to identify a successor even though Da Silva was his deputy since August 2024. The emergence of Imlach during the tour to Pakistan; and his success as the captain of Guyana the Four Day Championship has added to the problem. Imlach has won the Championship twice to continue that legacy of Guyana’s dominance in regional first-class cricket”, Wallace said.

He said CWI found themselves in a predicament and decided to use a classroom setting with six candidates: They are going to probably narrow it down to two or three candidates and conduct another interview to see who scores the highest points. I do not believe in this is the correct procedure and cannot support it. In my opinion this method is another indication of the failure of the franchise system, and of CWI’s cricket not being able to point in the direction to find future leadership within our cricket setting. I wish all the candidates well may the best one win”.

“Australia will soon be arriving on our shores soon, and they are going to ready for battle. They are going to come hard at us; there is a new cycle of the Test Championship 2025 to 2026 and Australia will be looking for points. When Australia comes a calling; I hope the captain that has been selected based on points will win Test matches to give the West Indies World Test Championship points”, Wallace said.

Sports

Over 200 Participants To Compete At Senior Games

To date, more than 200 participants have registered for the National Senior Games – 55 per cent are male and 45 per cent are female. They represent a wide cross-section of athletes from across the island, who will be competing in various disciplines during the 21st Anniversary of the Games.

According to the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs (MPEA), the top five parishes by registration are St. Michael (26 per cent); Christ Church (21 per cent); St. James (13 per cent); St. Philip (13 per cent) and St. George (12 per cent).

With respect to age categories, at the Masters’ level (40 – 49 years), 20 per cent have registered so far; at the Seniors’ level (50 – 69 years), 70 per cent have signed up, while for the Super Seniors (70+ years), 10 per cent have registered.

Registration will close on Tuesday, May 27.

Coordinator of the National Senior Games, Ytannia Wiggins, who said she was pleased with the response by athletes, noted that this year marks a milestone in digital engagement with the introduction of an accessible online registration system.

Of the initiative, she said: “The updated online process has made registration more efficient and has been warmly embraced by our seniors, many of whom leaned on their children and grandchildren for support, when it was needed. But overall, we’ve had little pushback to the use of digital forms.

“The form was also optimised for users with disabilities. Though physical forms were still available, fewer than five have been submitted via that method – which speaks volumes about how the community has adapted.”

The National Senior Games aligns with the Ministry’s Active Aging Policy, promoting wellness, inclusion, and community pride through sport.

Persons attending the Games are reminded that in addition to the official launch and motorcade to Golden Square Freedom Park on May 24, other upcoming events include field events at Queen’s College on May 31; the Road Race /Walk /Cycling on the Mighty Grynner Highway on June 1, and the Track & Field Meet at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex on June 9. (PR/GIS)

Sports

HAYLEY PREPARES ENGLAND TOUR

Preparation for international matches that will take place in England later this month

By David Harris

Captain of the West Indies’ Women’s team Hayley Matthews began preparing for the regional side tour to England by making an unexpected appearance for her local club ESAF Pickwick against the SigniaGlobe Financial BCA Youth team in the third series of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Elite Division over the weekend.

The West Indies are schedule to three T20 International matches (T20Is) and three One Day International matches (ODIs) when they tour England from May 18 to June 7.

It is rare for female cricketers to play with their male counterparts in the top-tier of the BCA’ s competitions. Matthews is the first woman to play in the Elite Division; the first occasion a female took part in the top-tier of a BCA’s competition was in 2013 when Shaquana Quintyne represented YMPC against Banks and the Barbados Defense Force Program.

On the first day of the match (Saturday) Matthews was bowled by left-arm pacer Jakeem Pollard for two runs as Pickwick were dismissed for a meager 62 runs in their first innings. When the BCA Youth batted Matthews bowled four overs for 10 runs and picked up the wicket of Damani Roach, the number 10 batsman with her off-spin.

Yesterday, Pickwick were in dire straits at 12 runs for two wickets in their second innings in reply to BCA Youth’s total of 177 when Matthews came to crease and scored 60 magnificent runs. Her 50 came from 59 balls in 89 minutes and contained nine delightful fours.

She shared a third wicket partnership of 122 with Pickwick’s captain Rohan Ryan (67), at the tea break Matthews was 60, and the sprinkling of spectators at the Lester Vaughan School Ground, Cane Garden, St Thomas were hoping that her gem on an innings would continue after the interval.

But that was not to be Matthews was trapped lbw by Pollard with the first ball after tea, she faced 71 balls and struck 11 fours to help Pickwick score 256 in their second innings.

Chasing 141 runs to win the match, BCA Youth were 25 runs for two wickets. The match continues next Saturday.

Several persons were questioning on social media over the weekend why Matthews was playing for Pickwick instead of representing Barbados in the regional T20 Blaze which is taking place in St Vincent.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday evening, Matthews explained that she is taking a break from regional cricket and took the opportunity to use the match to prepare for the West Indies’ trip to England.

“I am taking a break from regional cricket ahead of the West Indies tour to England to give any niggling injuries I have a chance to heal, but at the same time I still preparing for the West Indies tour to England which start in a couple of weeks by participating in this match against Barbados Youth”, Matthews explained.