Grenada ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):
THE WEST Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has blamed its cash-strapped state for the inability to launch the long-awaited regional development plan but says the programme could be introduced some time this year.
WICB president Ken Gordon said the plan had already been drafted but with the board still US$15 million in debt, launching the programme had proved difficult.
"Financially we have had no basis on which to do it. We have just beenstrapped financially," Gordon said.
"We are now at a point where we are breaking even operationally but we have a $15 million deficit U.S.! That's what we are carrying on our backs. How do you get into development?
"We are at the point now where we have had a development programme for the last year. It's drafted, it's ready to go. We were supposed to start with the Lotto (but) the Lotto hasn't gone forward for a number of reasons. I'm not blaming anybody, I'm simply saying those are the facts."
Developing professional cricket culture
The regional development plan is supposed to address the issue of developing a professional cricket culture in the Caribbean as well as preparing regional players to meet international standards.
In addition, the plan is expected to provide a corps of highly trained coaches and trainers that will be available to prepare regional players for competitions.
Gordon said despite the difficulty in launching the plan, he believed it could become a reality later this year.
"We now want to get that development programme off before we do anything else. We've made all sorts of representations, our Prime Minister (Dr Keith Mitchell) has helped us to make (them) and we haven't been able to get the assistance we need," Gordon said.
"We are working at it and if my guesstimate is right, I think in another few months we might be able to make some progress but we have to keep working and Prime Minister Mitchell, as long as he is there (at CARICOM's Prime-Ministerial sub-committee on cricket), he will continue to work with us."
