SPORTS
Jonathan Ramnansingh
The TRINIDAD and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) has highlighted youth cricket in its 2022 calendar.
The board, however, like many other national sports organisations, is awaiting permission from the Ministry of Health to resume activity, with restrictions, after a “phased return to sport” policy was recently proposed by the Ministry of Sport and Community Development.
At the launch of the TTCB’s tentative cricket calendar on Thursday, president Azim Bassarath outlined a long prospective itinerary for the season, with stress on youth tournaments.
The TTCB plans to revive the sport, after a nearly two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, from this crucial stage of development with competitions in the U-13, U-15, U17, U-19 and U-23 divisions.
One such tournament is the return of a U-13 bilateral tournament between TT and Barbados, but this time involving Guyana. Bassarath said he is in talks with the two regional cricket fraternities to stage the tournament in August in Guyana.
The age group in particular, he said, has produced prolific talent in the past and could once again serve as a stepping stone for young cricketers to showcase their talent at the regional level.
“Cricket West Indies has never hosted an U-13 tournament. Every year before the pandemic, the TTCB held an under-13 inter-zone tournament.
“Some time ago, the TTCB and the Barbados Sports Council had bilateral visits. Barbados would come here for one year and the next year, TT would go to them.
“Shai Hope, Kraigg Brathwaite and a number of players who are currently in the West Indies and Barbados teams were part of those bilateral tours in the late 90s and early 2000s.
“Based on that, we think it’s important to give the U-13s that opportunity, since there’s no CWI tournament, we think it’s important to have an U-13 tournament.
“It is important to give these young players an opportunity to play among their Caribbean counterparts at the same time so that we can further develop them,” said Bassarath, after listing the detailed calendar of board events at the National Cricket Center in Couva.
The TTCB President has mandated that all players, officials and members of the club must be fully vaccinated to play in any of the sanctioned tournaments.
Classic inter-zonal and North/South tournaments are planned for all age categories between the U-13 and U-23 age groups, in partnership with the resumption of the National League (seniors).
If the sport is given the all-clear to resume, the TTCB confirmed it could return to play by next month, starting with a T10 and followed by junior category matches.
TT Red Force coach David Furlonge welcomed the eventful schedule for the youngsters. He believes that these competitions are crucial to the revival of the sport and serve as a good transition to play after a 22-month break.
He said: “It is important. Two years without cricket is very damaging. A guy who was 17 two years ago probably can’t play in an U-19 tournament now. His youth cricket is over.
“That is why we took a decision, approved by the TTCB president, to include the younger players (U-19 and U-23) now in the senior line-up. These youth tournaments are helpful in grooming youngsters and taking them through the ranks in senior cricket.”
