Commencing with this October 2022 Issue WI Wickets will be publishing an ongoing series of One-On-One conducted interviews with key personalities from within the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA). We are, therefore, very pleased to present the following interview with BCA National Youth Selection Panel Chairman, Elvis Howard, as the very first of the now planned interviews.
WI W: For the benefit of our Readers tell us about yourself and how you came to be in your current role as the BCA’s National Junior Selection Chairman?
EH: I have been involved in Barbados’ cricket in various roles for about 30 years. I started at my work base Graydon Sealy Secondary which has produced the likes of former West Indies players Dwayne Smith, Tino Best and female West Indies cricketer Shaquana Quintyne as our best players to date. We have also had some players who have played for Barbados at the youth level, as well as a few who have gone on to the First-Class arena. I’ve, therefore, been integrally involved in youth cricket for just over three decades!
Nb: My substantive post is Laboratory Assistant.
In terms of the BCA’s setup, I was on a number of Junior Panels prior to my appointment as Chair in 2016. I’ve been around for a long time. I served my apprenticeship until my evaluation as Chairman of all Barbados Youth teams, mainly those of the Boys, since 2016! I have also been President of Barbados School’s Cricket Council as well as is Secretary and Public Relations Officer.
WI W:Who else is on your Panel and how long is the current term of office?
EH: The other members of our Panel are the Senior Selection Chair Hendy Broomes, the longstanding BCA Coach Dexter Toppin, as well as former National players Richard Straker, Jason Haynes and Sherwin Campbell the former Barbados and West Indies opener. We have been going since 2016 and have been reappointed for each successive two-year term since then. Our current contract will be up for renewal in October 2023.
WI W: Can you tell us about how your Panel goes about the execution of its assigned duties in terms of the identification of talented players for selection to Barbados’ youth teams?
EH: Each of the members of our Panel is assigned to specific schools. We constantly liaise with the Coaches of the respective schools as a means of receiving their provided input on players we should be targeting. As some of our Selectors are also themselves Youth coaches they also provide their counterparts at the schools with information on the types of players we would be looking for. There’s, therefore, a marriage between the Coaches at the schools, those within the BCA and those at the National Sports Council NSC, who work within Primary and some Secondary schools and as well with the other members of the Selection Panel.
WI W: What will be your Panel’s next major assignment?
EH: We have just completed our submissions of players for involvement with the Sir Everton Weekes Center of Excellence’s next Programme which runs alongside the September – August school year. A lot of work will be done there on various aspects of the participating youth cricketer’s skills. The main aim is to produce well – rounded individuals.
Coming out of that we will then start our preparations for the regional Youth tournaments at the U15, U17 and U19 levels. Those trials serve to identify the majority of players who will eventually go on to represent Barbados at the Regional tournaments for the respective age levels.
Since its inception the EWCOE has been the launch pad for current West Indies players Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Shai Hope and Kyle Mayers and a large number of our current First- Class cricketers.
WI W: Within the last year have there been any outstanding young players who in the opinion of yourself and the other members of your Panel have stood out in terms of their possession of the talents that might allow them to go all the way to National Barbados Senior team selection and even possibly to eventually representing the West Indies?
EH: Yes. Definitely. Straight off the bat, we can think of the young fifteen-year-old Joshua Dorne, who played for the Barbados U17 and U19 teams. In fact, this year was the first of a possible four years of representing Barbados at the U19 level for him. He was one of the few players to make a century at this year’s Regional U19 three-day tournament during the opening round of matches. He also played at the U17 level and is still young enough to be able to play again at that level next year.
From all the reports we have received from those who have seen him both in Trinidad and St Vincent, they have all given him a green light in terms of his possession of all the required attributes for successful batting. They have all been impressed by the way he bats and how he goes about constructing his innings. He’s a player who has all the time to play his shots. He also has a good temperament and all the required skills. He’s one that we are banking on to really kick on and progress to even greater heights.
A student of Christ Church Foundation (Alma Mater of West Indies Legend Joel Garner) Dorne recently made his debut in the Barbados Senior One Day Trials. He had a number of good innings, did not disappoint and was sufficiently consistent. He showed good character and was able to up the ante in terms of his scoring rate when it became necessary for him to do so. Scoring very easily at the required rapid rate. He’s definitely one who
we will be hoping will go on to a bigger and brighter future.
There’s also the left-arm spinner all-rounder Nathan Sealey who was captain of the
U17 team and was also a member of the U19 squad. In fact, he was the leading
bowler in the local Suoer50 competition with 26 wickets. Nb: He represented
Christ Church Foundation (his school), Barbados Youth ‘B” and champions Empire
in the competition.
He got a century in the regional under -17 competition and was one of the leading
all-rounders in the regional under-19 championship.
Kevin Wickham is a gifted right-handed batsman who made a hundred earlier this year
for West Indies in the ICC Under-19 World Cup that was held in the Caribbean.
He has been having a super season in all three formats for his club Empire and
also took that form into the recently concluded BCA Legends 50- over Cup in
preparations for CWI Super 50.
WI W: How about the fast bowlers? Are there any that you think would be worth keeping
an eye on?
EH: Yes, We have one or two fast bowlers who did well and caught the eye during
the U17 and U19 Regional Championships. There’s young Jaden Lorde, who from
all reports provided by knowledgeable persons that were present at the U17
competition in Trinidad, was very, very quick through the air and was often beating
batsmen off the pitch as well. He gave a good account of himself.
Jatario Prescott, tall, slimly built, long levers, he’s another one. Johann Layne who
played for the West Indies U19 is another. Those are three who we figure we can
make something out of. There are also others on the horizon, who once they are
willing to put in the work, could also make the grade.
WI W: So, from what you have seen from your position as Youth Selections Chair, how
would you assess the state of Barbados’ cricket?
EH: I think our Youth cricket is in good hands. There are always things that we can do
to ensure further improvement but overall, the results are there to show, we have
won every Regional youth tournament with the exception of the three-day where
we have been runner’s up three times during this period. We also came within
touching distance of winning the U19 three–day during the summer. . We have won
the U17 and U15 competitions over the years.
I think that one of the things that has served us well is the structure of our cricket.
We have our local U13 Club competition, and before that we have the primary Schools
competition which is a very important aspect of our structure. COVID had dealt it
a serious blow with no tournament being held for the last couple of years but we
are hopeful they all will soon be back on stream.
We also have the local U13, U15 and U19 competitions. There’s also a Saturday
competition among the schools, the better players from all these go on to
play for the local Barbados Youth teams in the Elite and First Division championships.
The structure of our Youth cricket is in good hands. For that we must also give full
praise to the BCA who year after year has spent loads of money on Youth cricket,
which can be very expensive at times. The returns that have been produced in
terms of the provided results of winning titles and identifying players for West Indies
Youth teams have definitely made the investment worthwhile. For the last six years
Barbados has produced as many as four or five players for each of the selected
West Indies U19 World Cup squads! The expenditure that has been made on Youth
cricket has, therefore, definitely paid dividends.
WI W: Given that WI Wickets Issues are also read by individuals in other Caribbean
countries and even further afield is there anything that you would like to add personally
that hasn’t been covered by our questions?
EH: From a West Indian regional perspective, we all know that we are
now suffering from a batting crisis throughout the Caribbean. I think
it’s something that needs to be urgently addressed by the authorities.
We have to find ways of getting our young cricketers to develop the
ability to not only spend time at the crease but to also understand the
dynamics of batting. That can only come about by them playing a lot
more two and three-day cricket whenever possible.
Sometimes we get caught up in the proliferation of one-day cricket
and its demands. Far too often there are players who might not be
able to get the ball away. The first instinct reaction then becomes to
discard him for the choice of someone who might be able to play
more aggressively but in attempting to do so their time at the crease
becomes short-lived!
I’m, therefore, urging CWI, wherever possible to provide more
regional competition opportunities for longer forms of the game. I
would like to see the day when at least bi-annually we can have tours
for our U19 players. Not only when there’s a World Cup forthcoming
but also every two years when we can host teams for a Series of
Unofficial 3-day Test Matches.
I would like to see that consistently happen for our Youth teams.