Hilaire again calls for peace with WIPA
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad CMC – Improved relations with West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) is high on the list of priorities for the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). Ernest Hiliare, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the WICB, said bringing an end to the strained relationship with WIPA will form part of the WICB’s Strategic Plan 2011-2016 currently before the six territorial boards for discussion.
Hilaire was speaking at the National Cricket Centre on Wednesday, as he outlined the Strategic Plan, while receiving suggestions and answering questions from members of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board and its affiliates, including National League clubs, the Women’s Cricket Association, Tobagonian clubs, primary and secondary cchools, umpires, sponsors, the media, and other officials.
Hilaire is currently visiting regional territories to speak about the document and garner feedback from the stakeholders, which will be presented to the WICB’s directors for consideration later this year.
He said that the WICB has acknowledged that WIPA is a vital organisation representing the leading players in the region with whom they must have good and productive dialogue.
“There is the challenge of understanding each other’s role, but as two organisations responsible for cricket, the WICB and WIPA must ensure that cricket takes place,” said Hilaire.
He said that one side felt that the WICB had too much power, and this has led to the acrimonious relationship between the organisations, resulting in one crisis after the other, which has been partly blamed for the poor fortunes of the regional side over the last decade.
“We have no choice but to work together, and I look forward to the day when we shall move forward together for the future of the game in the Caribbean,” he said.
Hilaire said the emphasis in the Strategic Plan will be placed on ensuring that a specific sum of money will be allocated yearly for cricket development, which will ensure a clear pathway to nurture players from the Under-15 to Under-19 level, who will move on to the A-Team and then the senior side.
He said the programme for the A-Team had proved to be very successful, and every effort will be made to have the West Indies reserves involved in tours to expose them to regular overseas competition against their counterparts.
Not to be left out will be the West Indies Women. He said they have made an impact on the world stage over the past several years, despite not being engaged in top-level competitions on a regular basis.
Hilaire also spoke of the establishment of Centres of Excellence throughout the Caribbean territories, whose programmes will be administered by the local boards, but whose top players will be sent to the West Indies High Performance Centre in Barbados, which acts as a finishing school.
He also revealed that a curriculum will be developed from which all centres will be designed to inculcate a culture of excellence, starting from the Under-15 level upwards. He also stressed the importance of the grooming of young administrators and succession planning in the Strategic Plan.
It was also observed that while foreign coaches grabbed the spotlight, there was an absence of West Indies coaches plying their trade at the international level, which reflected a dearth of talent in the region.
Hilaire also spoke of the introduction of a Champion of Champions tournament among the Caribbean territories and the rewarding of clubs who produce class players and contribute to the uplifting of the regional game.