Cricket fans in Barbados have been asked to be patient in light of the disappointing showing by the national team in the 2011 WICB regional four-day competition.
The request is coming from coach Vasbert Drakes who has acknpwledged the shortcomings of the team but is taking heart from some of the positives.
“Our generation comes from a winning environment and anytime we are not producing those desired results, questions are going to be asked,” Drakes told NATIONSPORT after Barbados slumped to a five-wicket defeat against Combined Campuses and Colleges at the 3Ws Oval on Sunday to end an unsatisfactory season.
“You still have to be honest and realistic and see that we had a young batting team this season. The guys have not embarrassed themselves. The young guys have showed they have the ability to play cricket at this level.
“I think there are a lot of positives involved and I’d rather stress on the positives rather than focus on the negatives.
“I don’t think it will change the fact that we didn’t play the cricket that the public wanted to see. I would like to say to the public have some patience.”
Barbados finished the tournament in sixth place, having conceded first innings points in each of their seven matches in which their only victory was against the Leeward Islands in the penultimate round.
At the start of the season, chairman of selectors George Linton said the policy would be to expose young players to the West Indies selectors.
While the overall team performance was disappointing, there were individual performances from some of the young players that moved Drakes to say there were some benefits to the move.
“It is up to us to make sure that we create that environment where those cricketers can enhance their game,” Drakes said.
“We have to keep on advising guys that attitude, commitment and pride are very important and to try to improve their game, not only on the field.
“We have to look at it from a collective view where everyone has got to play their role – not only the coaches and the administrators, but the public have got to tell themselves that we have a young generation of cricketers that we need to support.”
Teenaged opener Kraigg Brathwaite, playing his first full season, batted for long periods to emerge as the team’s leading runscorer with 473 runs (ave. 43.00), while Jonathan Carter, recalled for the last three matches, impressed with knocks of 82 against Leewards and 99 against CCC.
In trying to identify reasons for Barbados’ modest showing, Drakes pointed to missed opportunities at crucial stages, the lack of a quality spinner, ragged fielding and a lack of penetration from the bowlers.
“There were some key moments in games when we didn’t finish strongly. We had some opportunities to seize the initiative. We didn’t do that and we paid the price in the long run,” the coach said.
“There are areas of concern in our fielding. We need to spend a lot more time as coaches trying to upgrade the guys’ skills.
“The spinners we played didn’t make the impact. If you look at the competition, the spinners have dominated on flat pitches. We need to look at finding a quality spin bowler who can be successful.
“If Sulieman Benn is not available, if we can develop a spinner it will be an asset because we play on some very flat pitches in the Caribbean.”
