UWI Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles has called for an end to individual players choosing self over the interests of representing the region.
With the advent of increasing and lucrative Twenty20 leagues across the world, there has often emerged a conflict of interest for the region’s most talented players as international engagements often conflict with the competitions.

It is hoped that recent reworked legislation by Cricket West Indies(CWI), aimed at ameliorating the situation, will soon bear fruit, but Beckles believes a part of the change must also come from the Windies players themselves.
“Can you imagine in Australia, in England, in India, the selectors picking a team of their eleven best players and four or five of them say: ‘I am not available because I have other matches to play’.

Because those are societies that take the citizenship seriously, the nation takes its identity seriously and the citizen represents the nation.
The nation, of course, has the conversation with the citizens and this is where we Caribbean people are at,” Beckles said at the official opening of the Sagicor UWI High Performance Centre at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex.
For his part, Beckles a noted cricket historian claims he had encouraged Windies captain Jason Holder to encourage the next generation of players to put regional pride ahead of their own self-interest.

“Each time I meet with Jason Holder, I always say one thing to him: ‘Lead, lead your generation, talk to them, and find the balance between maximizing your income and representing your nation’. You cannot have young men who walk out of the team and cherry-pick when they are going to play from when they are not going to play,” Beckles said.
“We are the only team that does not put our best eleven cricketers to represent the nation because the citizen sees himself as superior to the society, that his personal cause is superior to the cause of his country.”(Sportsmax)