KINGSTON, Jamaica, (CMC) – Former West Indies cricketers Jimmy Adams and Kieran Powell are both of the opinion that they are not enough high-quality coaches in the Caribbean at the local and regional levels.
Their comments have come in the wake of the regional side’s thrashing at the hands of Australia in their recently concluded Test and T20I series, which the visitors dominated 3-0 and 5-0 respectively.
Speaking earlier this week on the Mason and Guest radio show, Adams, who formerly served as Director of Cricket at Cricket West Indies (CWI), said there needed to be major investment at the youth level, particularly between the ages of 12 and 13.
The former West Indies captain who played 54 Tests and 127 ODIs, also called for better coaches across the region.
“I’m thinking that in about five to six years we will have a really good youth team and some really potentially good players.
“We need to invest at the lower levels. We need to invest in a serious way at the lower levels and we need to find good local coaches because from what I’m seeing they don’t seem to be very many. If not, we have to go and look outside and we have to use international best practices to develop our players,” Adams said.
“It’s going to take money; it’s going to take an investment. It’s not going to take more competitions, which is what has been going on. It’s going to take a serious, fundamental investment either regionally, or we’re going to have to find a base where we can have these youngsters over an extended period.”
Meanwhile, Powell, who played 44 Tests and 46 ODIs for the West Indies, said he believed the regional team was struggling because the coaches were not adequately prepared to improve the players.
“I think what Jeffrey is saying is nothing that any other past cricketer wouldn’t have said, but I don’t think that our voices are particularly welcomed.
“I think an investment into the youth structure especially the types of coaches, because I personally think that the coaches at the regional setup right now are just not exposed enough or equipped sufficiently enough to develop players,” Powell said.