The Barbados Cricket League (BCL) has been lauded as playing a significant role in making Barbados and the West Indies cricket a force to be reckoned with in the past and the institution has been challenged to help both Barbados and the Windies to regain that dominance.
Such vote of confidence came from Stephen Lashely, Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth as he spoke at the BCL Awards ceremony for the 2009 season at the Foursquare Heritage Park, St Philip on Friday night.
“Many of our legends are products of the BCL, with the five zones in which the BCL competitions are arranged being named after those legends. Given this track record of the BCL, and in view of the talent being celebrated here tonight, there is no reason why we cannot regain our prominence as a nation of cricketers and by extension, our dominance in the West Indies team,” Lashley said.
The minister pointed out that cricket was a tremendous unifying force as seen by the varying people who thronged the Kensington Oval during the recent CLOBI Cup. However, Lashley warned that … “notwithstanding one’s natural talent, what differentiates the top sportsmen and women is their focus, dedication and discipline on and off the field of play.”
Ironically, that discipline was absent at the ceremony with plenty of awards on offer but very few takers. Less than 20 per cent of the awardees turned up to personally receive their prizes in front of an audiencewhich included president, Glyne St Hill, legend Seymour Nurse, Seibert Straughan, chairman of the National Sports Council, sponsors Mark Worme of BRC and Calvin Alkins
of Calvin Alkins Customs Brokers.
In his welcome president St. Hill had thanked the NSC and Government for increasing the subvention to the BCL which has always been considered the frontrunners in community cricket. According to St. Hill the help from Government saw all of the clubs being given a box of ball during the 2009 season and the president asked for the continued support for the BCL.