Davis worried about TTCB’s decision to allow key players to play in Bangladesh T20
Player development important—Ragoonath
Published: Guardian
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Bryan Davis
WALTER ALIBEY
Former national cricketer Bryan Davis has described as troubling, a decision by the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) to allow a number of key players such as captain Rayad Emrit, Kevon Cooper and Evin Lewis to play in the Bangladesh T20 Tournament even though the country is involved in the current West Indies Cricket Board Professional Regional Four-Day League.
But yesterday chief executive officer of the TTCB Suruj Ragoonath explained that sometimes the country’s achievement will have to be compromised at the expense of player development. On Friday, the T&T Red Force got off to a slow start in their opening encounter against the Leeward Islands, crawling to 155 for the loss of three wickets in 72 overs of the rain-affected match.
The Red Force, who has struggled in the four-day version of the match were strangely the only team that did not cross the 200-run mark Friday. In another game the Guyana Jaguars stormed to 287 for four against the Windward Islands Volcanoes while the Barbados Pride reached 262/2 against the Jamaica Scorpions at the Kensington Oval.
Local players usually sign contracts with the cricket board (TTCB) to play for regional tournaments but they often opt out of these contracts for more lucrative offers in the now flourishing T20 cricket leagues.
Davis said he does not know what the contracts look like but feels there must be a cut-off point at which players are allowed to break their contracts to play for teams, in spite of whether their country have to compete at tournament or not.
“I don’t think the board can hold the players to the contract because there are no rules that prevent them from leaving. In other words, there is always a clause that allow players to get out of these contracts and therefore the onus is always on the players to decide who they want to play for,†Davis said.
However the ex-cricketer turned administrator is asking, “What happens to the country’s team if, lets say, six or seven players from the country are asked to play in T20 leagues across the globe when we have tournaments to take part in?†He made it clear it will result in the country, not only fielding an understrength team, but it disrupts the entire team and all the work that would have been done.
“This would lead to the team now having to put younger, more inexperienced players on the team which would decrease our chances of winning,†Davis said.
The outspoken cricket administrator explained that in his view, players must immediately inform the management once they make a decision to play in a T20 tournament and not for T&T. This means that players’ contracts will immediately be terminated and they will not be allowed to represent T&T again for that season or even be paid.
“They should not even be allowed to play one or two games because they would have made a decision not to play for their country,†Davis said.
Meanwhile Ragoonath told the Guardian that the cricket board allowed the players to play in Bangladesh because it is what they wanted.
“To be honest the board was not pleased at all with the fact that monies were spent to prepare the team and on the eve of this tournament they just decide to play elsewhere. However, we feel that it does not make sense holding them against their will because they will be with the T&T team but their heart will not be there,†Ragoonath said.
Players are usually offered retainer contracts which means that they must make themselves available to play when there are tournaments. And despite practicing with the team all season the players decided to opt out to play in a league where they will benefit tremendously.
“When we heard about it we called the players into a meeting and told them that their contracts will be terminated. They have also been told that after the league finishes, if they are fit and can make themselves available to play for T&T then they will be paid for each match they play,†Ragoonath said.
Responding to Davis’ claim that if six or seven players decide to leave the team he said, “The board has a role to produce players and if these players are being gubbled up by outside teams them we are achieving our mission. This would mean a number of younger players will get the opportunity to play and maybe get a contract with the T&T team or be selected to play in a T20 tournament.â€
Ragoonath, himself an ex-national player, said that the board has a focus on player development which could mean compromising the goals of the country, to ensure that the personal development of the player.
“At the board level, we encourage players to maximise their earning potential because we know that cricketers have a short life span. We want to see players play at the highest level and have decent lifestyles so we encourage player development,†Ragoonath said.
