ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Former West Indies pacer Kenny Benjamin has criticised the Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) for its lack of attention to the development of local cricket here.

The 47-year-old, who took 92 wickets in 26 Tests between 1992 and 1998, said there were critical areas of the local game that needed urgent attention but which were being overlooked.
“Club structure, that is very critical (as well as) coaching education and development (and) infrastructure and if we start looking at those areas there, the rest will basically fall into place because once you start developing and educating coaches, your youth programmes and so on will be better,” Benjamin told the Antigua Observer newspaper.
“Once your infrastructure is taken care of, the quality will improve but you need club structure to make sure that good management of the clubs and so on is in place.”
Benjamin quit as second vice-president of the ABCA a month ago, following the conclusion of the one-day series between West Indies and England here. He was only elected last November.
He said the ABCA leadership appeared preoccupied with the “glamour” associated with cricket and not with spurring development of the local game.
“To me, some of them just like the glamour; when international cricket comes, they like to feel important and they walk around the stadium and people see them with their ABCA executive member (logo) on their chest and so on,” Benjamin pointed out.
“One or two of them just like the camaraderie but it has happened over the years where it becomes the norm that local cricket will take care of itself but it is not true.”
He said it was this lack of attention to local cricket that had prompted his decision to resign from the ABCA.
“I don’t think there is a leadership problem. To me, it is just the interest in local cricket. I went into the association for that only and I made clear that (for) international games (and) regional games, I just want to go by the sidelines and sit and watch,” Benjamin explained.
“I don’t want to be involved and run around with no big thing (official pass) around my neck saying executive member. I am not interested in that.
“I am interested in local cricket and once I saw that local cricket was way down on the priority list, I just said you know what, it’s not happening, so I am out of here.”