There may need to be more balance at regional level between the development of fast bowlers and our young batsmen.
That’s the view expressed by Raymond Duncan, coach of the Windward Islands cricket team that won the limited-overs title at the WICB’s Regional Under-19 Tournament that ended in Barbados last week.
“I also think if you’re going to look at bowling points I think you should encourage the batters as well. Maybe some points should be given to teams for batting as well,” Duncan told MIDWEEK SPORT.
Duncan admitted his team went into the final match of the tournament keen to exploit the bonus points offered for wickets taken by fast bowlers and utilized as many as six pacers before a spinner was introduced within the final ten overs of the Leeward’s innings.
“You have to look at how you use it,” Duncan said.
“You would want to use the rule to your advantage because you want to win. It is encouraging you to use your fast bowlers.
“If that’s the way to build the sport and encourage fast bowlers, so be it, but I think we need to look at it, just as we have people clamouring that we need to look at the six over rule for the fast bowlers as well.
“Today [final match] our spinners really suffered because we wanted the bowling points. Our spinners are the ones who have been winning matches for us but today we didn’t use them because we saw the need to get the bowling points.
“Bowling them [spinners] we would not have gotten any points [bonus points], so we used the people that would give us the points.”
Duncan noted that if the situation had been different the pacers may have been the ones to suffer.
The coach spoke favourably of the organization of the tournament noting there were no significant problems other than the weather which was beyond anyone’s control.
However, he suggested that more consideration be given when selecting match venues in the host territories to utilize the best facilities and conditions available.
