BCA:  School delays just not on

THE BARBADOS CRICKET ASSOCIATION (BCA) isn’t purposely trying to disadvantage Foundation – or any other school for that matter.
Acting chief executive officer (CEO) Rollins Howard said the BCA refused to further delay the semi-finals and finals of theUnder-19 competition to accommodate Foundation because the rescheduled dates were set by the Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools (BAPPSS).
Howard made the comments in response to recent media reports citing Foundation’s displeasure over the new dates of the knockout matches as five of their players would be unavailable because they are on national duty.
“It was not our intention to put anyone at a disadvantage because the competition was supposed to be finished last Friday but [Tropical Storm] Chantal intervened and there isn’t anything we could’ve done about that,” explained Howard.
“We then sought out new dates and it’s BAPPSS that gave us these dates. Unfortunately, they’re clashing with the regional tournament, but we just can’t continue pushing back a tournament that started back in April.”
A well-placed source within Foundation’s management said they sought a postponement because the defending champs would be missing five key players for tomorrow’s semi-final against Ellerslie due to the regional Under-19 tournament in St Kitts.
The school wrote the BCA asking for the dates to be pushed back by four weeks but that request was denied on the basis of further scheduling conflicts.
“Combermere also wrote to us, but we told them no because we can’t drag on a tournament that started in April any longer,” Howard said.
“The maximum number of games a team will play is eight, and that’s only if they make the final, but we’re being asked to stretch those games between April and next month. And it seems we’re always changing our competitions to suit other people, but this time it just isn’t feasible.”
Foundation are set to be without West Indies allrounder Jerome Jones, Aaron Jones, Carlos Maynard, Lee Germon Gaskin and Jofra Archer for tomorrow’s knockout match at the Desmond Haynes Oval.
Combermere will be facing The Lodge School in the day’s other semi-final ahead of the July 25 final at Kensington Oval.