The Sagicor High Performance Centre will now run as a full one-year programme from May to April with the team participating in senior West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regional tournaments.
This was one of several decisions the WICB took pertaining to functioning of West Indies cricket at a special meeting in St Lucia, last weekend.
Following their participation in the Regional Super50 in Guyana for the second straight year, the Barbados-based HPC unit will now compete in next year’s regional four-day first-class championship.
The board also approved the schedule for the January, 2012 T20 with the Netherlands, English county Sussex and Canada joining the six territorial teams as well as the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC).
In addition, the board also approved an amended schedule of cricket for 2011 to 2012 which includes a further expanded West Indies “A” Team programme, more women’s cricket and the introduction of a WICB Under-17 Tournament, to be held in Trinidad and Tobago in December, this year.
Without going into specifics, the board also revealed that it received a comprehensive report on the WICB Cricket Development Programme, which consists of 35 different elements covering all levels of cricket.
It was further revealed that new president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Ramsay Ali, was appointed a WICB director, replacing former long-serving GCB president Chetram Singh.
The board also expressed gratitude to former Barbados off-spinner Anthony Howard for his services. Howard, who played one Test match, retired from the post of Director of Cricket on August 31 after reaching the age of retirement but his tenure has been extended until November 30.
