TWO of the Five Cricketers Of The Year – Banks' Jonathan Carter (left) and Winston Reid (right) holding the trophy for winning the Division 1 title last year. Sharing in their moment are Banks Breweries' Bernard Frost (second left) and BCA president Joel Garner.

by Haydn Gill

THE Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) has been urged to share some of the benefits it will accrue from Kensington Oval with the Barbados Cricket League (BCL).

Additionally, the local governing body has been advised to embrace women in helping to move the sport forward.

The suggestions came from National Sports Council chairman Henry Inniss during the feature address at the BCA's annual awards ceremony at the Amaryllis Beach Resort, Hastings, Christ Church, on Friday night.

Under a proposed agreement with Government, the BCA stands to receive $1.6 million annually from an arrangement over the management of Kensington and Inniss feels some of the funds should filter down to the struggling BCL.

"The BCL gets a subvention of $4 000 from the council, and I cannot help but think that the intention is that the $1.6 million be shared in some way with the BCL who are also very involved in the development of cricket in Barbados," Inniss said.

"I encourage the BCA to have a look and see what they can do."

For several years, the BCL was considered a nursery of Barbados' cricket and provided an opportunity to expose some of the finest cricketers the island has produced.

Over the past 15 years, however, some observers have questioned if the BCL still serves a purpose, while its first division team have consistently performed disappointingly.

The National Sports Council, however, remains buoyant with excitement at the possible results of a strategic alliance between the BCA and the BCL.

"The development of cricket in Barbados and the realisation of the potential of our rich pool of talent can only be successful if there is strategic cooperation between the BCA and the BCL," Inniss said.

"The conception of Barbados as the nurseryof West Indies cricket was largely hinged on the efforts of the BCL and this organisation's contribution to national development through a number of players whose development this league facilitated."

During his address, Inniss also told the audience that the National Sports Council had started work on the formulation of a national strategic plan for sports and a national policy of sports.

In winding up, he also encouraged the BCA to embrace the part women could play in cricket.

"The role of women in cricket is one that has been continually overlooked and I have no hesitation in stating that any organisation that does not pay attention to gender in their analyses and planning is ultimately doomed to failure," he said.

"To this end, the BCA must ensure that girls and women are not marginalised in their efforts to get involved in the game at varying levels and in varying capacities."