AS THE current LIME Division 1 Championship draws to a close, the mad scramble has intensified by a couple of the teams at the lower end of the ladder to remain in the premier local competition.
For the second straight year, players, club officials, and spectators have been weighing-up the value of the promotion and demotion system, which the Barbados Cricket Association introduced from last year.
Having covered matches much closer than in previous years over the last couple of seasons, it has been discovered that there are as many proponents as they are opponents to the idea of promotion and demotion.
But the BCA should not slink away from its responsibility to rationalise its competition, since almost every major national sports association has been forced to do it over the last decade, some increasing, many decreasing, and the BCA should be no different.
Let’s be honest and face the truth, we simply do not have between 150 to 180 quality cricketers to feed what had become an intensely cumbersome, and mediocre Division 1 championship.
It is to be expected that many of the clubs, particularly some of the so-called shareholders, would not find comfort in the realities of promotion and demotion, but the way some sides have responded to the challenge this season is precisely why the BCA needed to make this bold move.
It was clear for a long time that there was urgent need for action, but successive BCA hierarchies never possessed the men with either the mental, abdominal, or testicular fortitude to make such a brave decision, so this group has to be greatly applauded, even though other crucial developmental areas remain untouched.
The BCA has indicated its aim is to reduce the number of teams in the Division 1 Championship to 10, but they should really cut the number to eight.
Making this suggestion will draw a response from players, officials, and fans similar to the national response to Chris Sinckler’s budget, or taking Buckley’s Cough Mixture when you are ill – it sounds/tastes awful, but let’s hope/it will work.
There are many are good reasons for the suggestion to reduce the number of teams to eight and not 10.
First, one of the best suggestions proposed for a long, long, long time was that the BCA should introduce a division higher than the Division 1.
In this way, they could elevate the most consistent eight teams over the last five to 10 years to that division, possibly called the Premier League, or Super League, or something more fanciful like the Super Eight Championship.
This would have mitigated against the backlash from clubs that may feel hurt by suffering the indignity (sic) of being demoted back into the Intermediate competition.
Secondly, the reduction to eight would then allow the BCA to further rationalise its competitions by creating far more streamlined divisions and zones, as well as eliminate the repetition of teams throughout the competition with the introduction of a Reserve Division, where the second XIs of all the clubs can play competitively.
In this regard, the BCA should also strongly consider removing individual school teams and the Barbados Youth (inter alia Combined Schools) from the Division 1, Intermediate, and Division 2 competitions.
This is another brave suggestion, and is also likely to meet stern resistance from the schools, as well as youth cricket aficionados.
The major reason behind this is that our clubs are suffering from a lack of players, and we need to find ways of creating a pool of players, not only to secure the short-term, but also long-term survival.
One way to fortify the clubs would be to allow schoolboys to play for their schools, i.e. in an enhanced Goddards Schools’ competition, and when they reach the age of 17, they should have the freedom to either remain with the school team, if they are still at school, or sign with a club through a Player Draft organised by the BCA, and similar in style to major pro sports leagues.
This arrangement would now place greater focus on the schools’ competition, which no one on the BCA’s board of management or operations should resist, and should help to make it more attractive and marketable.
It should also lead to less of a tug-o-war between the individual schools and the management of the Barbados Youth that has bedevilled this relationship over the years.
Thirdly, another significant reason for the reduction of teams in the top division to eight is this should allow the BCA to include in its annual budget, match fees/stipends for players.
Roughly speaking, something like $150-a-three day match, $75-a-Super Cup match, and $50-a-Twenty20 match would help to make the Division 1 competition more attractive for players financially.
It’s an expenditure that would cost the BCA close to $160,000 annually. Is that too much to spend on our players?
With weekly incentive awards from the corporate sector, this would also be another way to boost players’ interest and earnings.
At the risk of incurring the wrath of the goodly gentlemen that give-up their weekends to umpire matches, some of whom are greatly admired, it is excruciating to know that they, along with match referees are being paid fees/stipends, and the players, the main actors in this whole drama, walk away penniless.
This is unjust, and the BCA needs to act immediately to address this anomaly as soon as it is financially and humanly possible.
Another result of the reduction to the Super Eight is that the BCA would find it far easier to administer the top level of our cricket.
The season can be shortened for one thing, allowing the national team more time for preparation for regional competitions.
Since players are now being paid, the BCA could also introduce four-day matches, i.e. Saturday, Sunday, Saturday, Sunday, or could even switch to three straight days, i.e. Friday, Saturday, Sunday – all still over 75-to-80 overs.
The BCA can also now market the Super Eight more effectively, particularly the limited-overs competitions, which can be played at Kensington Oval under the lights.
In this regard, they should also consider reducing the Super Cup from 50 overs-a-side back to 40 overs-a-side, with two innings and substitutes, as it is currently being experimented in other jurisdictions.
One final word on the promotion and demotion of teams: If they were to introduce the Super Eight concept, the BCA should only promote teams into this competition on a biannual basis.
Annual promotion and demotion should be executed between Division 1, Intermediate, and Division 2, thus eliminating the complaint that has been rampant in the last couple of seasons about some clubs being ill-prepared for playing at the higher level.
They would now have an even opportunity to prepare themselves, and also to fight to remain in the top deck.
