It is really unacceptable that the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus continues to be a participant in an Inter-Parish Cricket Competition.
Hosting the event gives the university no right to compete against teams from the island’s 11 parishes, which alone should be battling for parish supremacy.
And the time has come for the stumps to be pulled on UWI’s unjustifiable inclusion in a parish tourney.
From the outset a few years ago, at a Press conference to launch the tournament and unveil the sponsorship package, I strongly contended that UWI were batting on the wrong pitch. I even asked UWI Cave Hill Campus principal Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and Sir Charles Williams of the sponsors to explain the rationale for UWI’s participation in a parish competition.
Today, I am again imploring Sir Hilary, as one of Barbados’ most respected educators, to perform some umpiring duties by raising his finger and signalling UWI’s dismissal from this parish tournament.
I’m also asking Minister of Sport Stephen Lashley and Minister of Constituency Empowerment and Constituency Development Steve Blackett to come to the crease.
An invitation is also extended to the Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister Owen Arthur, as long-standing parliamentary representative for one of the single constituencies, St?Peter, who were not able to have the services of their best batsman, Omar Phillips, in the past.
Leader of the People’s Empowerment Party (PEP), David Comissiong, will also be entitled to bowl a few deliveries as UWI?must be yorked from participation. Now that he’s speaking, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart must lead from the front and say whether it is right for UWI?to play in a parish competition.
The National Sports Council, the Barbados Cricket Association, as the governing body for the sport in the country, as well as the Constituency Councils and various parish committees, should also be prepared to play an innings and make a declaration on the UWI’s encroachment on the parishes’ turf.
The role of Lashley and Blackett and even Minister of Education Ronald Jones, since tertiary students are involved, will be ensuring fair play and a level playing field for their constituents.
Unlike the case with the David Thompson Memorial Constituency Councils’ Classic, where the leading players had already played in the two stipulated out-of-season tournaments, every parliamentary representative should be concerned, particularly the single member constituencies like St Lucy, St Andrew, St Thomas, St Peter and St John, St Joseph that their constituencies are represented by their best players.
Hence, St Andrew would want to have someone like Jonathan Carter while St Philip would want its best spin bowler Ryan Austin and St George, its best batsman Floyd Reifer, who ironically is UWI’s coach/player. Â
I will never forget the 1998 NATION?Independence Inter-Parish Competition as I was the chief selector of the St Philip side, which actually won the tournament, beating St James badly by 96 runs in the final at Queen’s Park for a $10 000 first prize.
Former Barbados batsman Stanton Proverbs scored a sparkling century (106 off only 58 balls, with six sixes and six fours) against a St James side that included Franklyn Stephenson, Roland Holder, Hendy Broomes, Neil Phillips, Derwin Thompson, Dayne Maynard, Ryan Hurley, Gregory Gaskin, with Ryan Hinds, Anthony Hurley and Antonio Thomas as their three Under-19 players.
Apart from Stanton, his brother Ahmed, Barry Callender, Lonelle Hutson, Winston Herbert, Victor Skeete, the three Brathwaite brothers – captain Rommell, Donville and Adrian – all played for St Philip but Sean Armstrong, who had made a century in the preliminaries, missed out.
Each team had to include three Under-19 players, and Austin and Ryan Burke were two from that group who played for St Philip.
A similar stipulation can be made to allow for each parish to be represented by one overseas UWI-based student, thus accommodating the likes of Romel Currency, Miles Bascombe, Liam Sebastian, Gilford Moore, Akeem Dewar, Esra Greene and Yannick Ottley.
The ongoing David Thompson Classic is being contested among the 30 constituencies, and the National Sports Council is about to have its basketball, road tennis and athletics competition among the parishes. All university students are eligible to participate and represent their parish, and if this state-run institution can exclude UWI from such competitions, then the same thing should be done in the case of cricket. I have said before and I will repeat that only parishes should be competing against each other. UWI Cave Hill should compete, as they do, against the likes of Mona and St Augustine.
Should UWI opt out of hosting if they are not allowed to play against the parishes, then the onus is on the BCA or Government to organize a parish cricket competition, utilizing the floodlights at Kensington Oval.
Finally, I’m happy to see that the Crop Over calypso events are being moved from cricket’s Mecca back to the dilapidated National Stadium.
It’s just a pity that the National Stadium doesn’t have hospitality boxes or a VIP?area so that dignitaries wouldn’t have to seek shelter whenever it rains.
But I’m sure that a refurbished Stadium will make provision for such luxuries. Â
