Sports

Philo Wallace discusses West Indies Cricket exclusively with Advo Magazine

Article by David Harris

The present state of West Indies cricket is not good even though a lot of money is being invested into the sports, and several news positions have been created by Cricket West Indies says former Barbados and West Indies cricketer Philo Wallace.

“The current state of West Indies cricket is not good; we are way down the pack and even at the bottom in some of the formats in the International Cricket Council rankings, and that is heart-wrenching, because a lot of resources are being pumped into cricket, and several new positions have been created; and yet the results on the field are not improving. An Academy was created a couple of years ago and only a a few players from that establishment are currently in the West Indies setup. I am concerned about the structure of the franchise system; I do not think it is as fruitful as we expected it to be, a lot of the franchises are struggling, and are not producing the quality fast bowlers that they were expected to generate. The batters are still not able to put together big scores in Cricket West Indies (CWI) Four Day Championship, even though a few of them have scored centuries this year, but an examination of the Championship over the years will show that the batters were struggling to score centuries”, Wallace told Advo Magazine.

Wallace is worried that the batsmen throughout the region are unable to cope with spin bowling: “Spinners continued to dominate the Four Day Championships and that is a worrying sign, years ago, the cricket was evenly balance ; the batters scored runs, the fast bowlers took wickets, and the spinners would come into play; but in this era of West Indies cricket, the spinners continue to dominate. There is a deficiency in our batters in relation to playing spin bowlers; and yet the franchises are not employing batting consultants to fix the problem.”

According to Wallace, not enough attention it not being paid to women cricket, and the territorial boards are reluctant to have similar standards for men and women tournaments.

“The territorial boards seem not to want to have the same standards for men’s and women’s cricket, and I am concerned that West Indies cricket has continued to struggle. The cricket authorities keep saying that we are rebuilding, but we are not making any progress, I don’t know if we are rebuilding on sand. I think the system can be repaired, but it must start at the junior level; our former great cricketers even though they are getting on in age, they can still make a contribution to the development of our young players. The legends can be mentors to our young cricketers, one of their primary tasks should be to explain to the importance of cricket to these young players. Our best coaches should be working with the junior cricketers to get the fundamental principles such as batting, bowling, fielding and wicketkeeping driven home into their young minds”, Wallace said.

“There must be a feeder system for the various levels of youth cricket from the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-23 cricketers, at the end of this process, our young cricketers should have been adequately prepared to play for a franchise team and the West Indies. I don’t think at the international level a cricketer should still be learning the basics of the game. When a cricketer is selected to play for the West Indies, he or she should have mastered all of the fundamentals of the game, therefore; the emphasis and the focus of the development of West Indies cricket should be at the junior level”, he added.

Wallace said the authorities are aware of the problems that are facing West Indies cricket but are not making the decision to correct them.

“I think they know the answers to the problems that are stopping the development of our cricket but they are not making the decisions to correct them. I don’t think that they have the fortitude to make these decisions. In my opinion they are caught in position where they don’t want to offend a friend, and rather than telling the friend what they are doing is wrong and putting them on the right track. They have continued to allow their friend to keep on going down the wrong path, it is a lack of accountability and responsibility, we keep hearing a lot of rhetoric and fancy talk but nothing is happening on the production line – the time for action in West Indies cricket is now. The ICC is talking about a two-tier system, and if the West Indies are relegated into this tier – they are going to remain there. I don’t how much television viewership the West Indies are going to get, if they are going to have home tours against Bangladesh and Ireland. We need to try and get a product that is good enough to remain in the top tier of Test cricket so that people can recognize that West Indies cricket still has value”, Wallace said.

He is disappointed that there were few spectators at the two first-class matches played at Kensington Oval against the West Indies Academy and the Jamaica Scorpions recently, and said that the onus is on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) to find away to bring spectators to the matches.

“It hurts me as a former player when I attend first-class matches at Kensington Oval and there are no spectators at the matches even though the matches are free. On the first day of the match against Jamaica Scorpions, there were about 40 spectators watching the game. The players are suffering because there are no spectators at the Oval to support them, some of the people at the Oval were there because cricket was playing, but there was not any purpose for them being there. The BCA needs to find a way the make public understand that the national cricket team is playing at Kensington and there should be there in their numbers supporting the team. There are over 1500 members in the BCA and I don’t think five of them were at the match between Barbados and Jamaica, it is difficult for a cricketer to play a first-class match in his own country at an empty ground; the authorities have to sell the game to the public in order to get them to attend matches and support the players”, the former Barbados captain said.

He said that the focus of the cricketers of his era and the players the current generation were different: “When I played cricket for Barbados, the players had one focus. Our intention was to do well for our country and win titles. We were happy for those from among us that were selected for the West Indies, and were proud that we had played a role in their selection to the West Indies side. The cricketers of my generation understood the importance of playing first-class cricket for their country. Some of the current generation of West Indies cricketers do not understand the importance of playing regional cricket; a lot of them don’t even play first-class cricket, it is always about being tired, work- load management and that kind of snuff. The players, administrators and the spectators have to understand the reason first-class-cricket is being played”.

`Wallace, 54, said he would like to play a role in West Indies cricket, but wants to make a contribution to Barbados’ cricket first.

“I sat on the BCA’ board a few years before I went away to Trinidad and England to study. I am back home now, and I want to make a contribution. I have a couple of ideals that I think can take Barbados and West Indies cricket across the line- if I can get the right people to support them. Barbados needs to get its cricket structure right, and put it back on firm ground. The BCA’s elections are scheduled for July, and there will be a couple of posts that are up for grabs-I am going to put my hat in the race for one of those posts, even if it is the top position in the organization. If I get the support from the members; I am willing to do all that I can to raise the level of cricket in Barbados, and try to restructure some of the clubs that are dying in this country. There are clubs that rely on cricket; but cricket also has to give to clubs to make them feel they are part of the BCA family”, Wallace said.

The right-handed batsman who has a law degree from the University of London said it is intention his to work in area of corporate law, after working in the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Department for 11 years.

“I love working in the corporate area of law, so in is my intention to work in that field; If it comes to fruition, I will be happy but I also want to help develop cricket and our young cricketers”, Wallace explained.

Sports

The stage is set and all is ready for the hosting for this year’s Senior Games.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex, Paradise Park, UWI Cave Hill Campus, St. Michael, Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, underscored the importance of the Games.

He noted that the Ministry is seeking to boost both participation and attendance, and also hopes to see an increase in community-based activities that will help generate greater interest in the event.

*Mac Fingall & Ytannia Wiggins Coordinator for the NSG*

We had determined that we needed to restructure and to review the Games [with] the view to do a number of things. One, we want to attract more spectators; two we want to attract more competitors; three,…we wanted regular Barbadians to feel that they could come out and enjoy the games; and four, because this is our major programme in relation to activation and healthy ageing, [we wanted to] have more activities in the communities and to bring more people to the idea that as we age, we must take care of our physical bodies, our mental bodies and our emotional bodies too,” he said.

He further adedd, “The Games started off as an event where regular people were running; it wasn’t taken overly serious . Over time, it became extremely serious,” he said. “The Games became extremely competitive and we respect that. We also feel that there also has to be an element of fun. There also has to be an element where regular people feel that they can come and enjoy and participate in the games.”

Coordinator Ytannia Wiggins, noted that more than 200 participants had already registered.

This year’s National Senior Games will begin with a motorcade on May 24, starting at the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs. The motorcade will make its way to Pelican Village to pick up representatives from various sporting federations before proceeding through the streets of Bridgetown. The celebration will wrap up at Freedom Park, Golden Square, with a mini wellness fair, movement sessions, and a vibrant cultural carnival showcasing performances from some of the island’s top calypsonians and artistes.

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)