Tony Becca

Regardless of what some may say about them, cricket clinics that last for one day, two days, three days or even a week, are, generally speaking, a waste of time.

I have always believed so, and after three Digicel three-day clinics - one in Barbados, one in Trinidad and Tobago, and one in Jamaica - I still believe so. In fact, I am now convinced that I will always believe so.

If the idea is to spread the gospel of the game and to get young boys and girls interested in the game, nothing is wrong with these short clinics - not with the young kids, under 15 years old, spending the time of their lives with former and present Test players including a star, a champion, like Lance Gibbs; not when they are brought together, housed and fed; not when they get shirts with the West Indies logo on it, and certainly not when they are blessed with top-class organisation and all the publicity that money can buy.

The organisation has been so good that Digicel, whatever the reason, is even keeping a register of all the players who attend the clinics.

If, however, the idea is to assist in the development of young players, everything, or almost everything, is wrong with it.

It takes time

As it is, or is supposed to be, with academies, it takes time to develop young players; it takes time to teach technique and skills; and, in the case of the Digicel clinics, three days is not a long time - and especially based on how it was done in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

In Jamaica, and because of the presence of the many Under-15 competitions in Jamaica leading up to the all-island Kingston Wharves competition, Gibbs and company were presented with the cream, or rather most of the cream, of the Under-15 players in the country, and they spent three full days with them.

In Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, however, it was open to all who wanted to attend. One day was spent looking at those who turned up, and the best of the lot, some 40 of them, were selected for the final two days.

In other words, after one look in Barbados and in Trinidad and Tobago, the coaches decided who were good enough to attend the clinics.

What is even more interesting, however, is that at the end of all three clinics - after looking at the players in the nets, after a bit of coaching, and after two matches, after one innings by each of the players - the coaches (two ex players, the two current players, and Gibbs) decide who is the best batsman, who is the best bowler, and who is the best wicketkeeper, present them with awards, and then send their photographs along with an impressive 'write-up' to the media houses through the internet.

Make no bones about it, former players Kenneth Benjamin and Keith Arthurton are good, and there is no question that the players, certainly those in Jamaica, have been enjoying themselves, with the players being the best, or with most of them being the best of their age group. There is hardly any doubt that one or two, or three may turn out to be first-class or even Test players, and that would be good.

More meanigful coaching

Maybe that is the reason for the register. Maybe years from now, if and when one of the youngsters make it, Digicel will, like the Shell Academy did during its time, boast that he came out of their clinics.

Like the academy which the players attended for only three months once in their entire career; like the academy which had nothing to do with the players after they left the academy, Digicel will not remember that the kids only spent two or three days with them and that the credit (without even mentioning the clubs) should really go to those like the Jamaica National Building Society and Carib Cement before them, to Kingston Wharves and to GraceKennedy ,who year after year, sponsor the competitions in which the children play, compete, and develop their skills.

The Digicel clinics look good, and there should be no question about it, West Indies cricket is in such a state that it should welcome any and every effort to improve the standard of the generations to come.

If that is the purpose of the clinics, however, if it is not just another bit of promotion for the company, then Digicel should look at it and cut the number of players attending the clinics so that there can be longer and meaningful coaching.

It should put together a longer and more meaningful programme, and it should insist on communication between their coaches and the players' schools and/or clubs relating to follow-up coaching.

If West Indies cricket is to benefit from the exercise, it should be either that or Digicel should spend some of its money improving Under-15 competitions where there are Under-15 competitions, and starting Under-15 competitions where there are none. It is as simple as that.