Reifer’s remedy

COACH Floyd Reifer says the only way Caribbean cricket can move to the next level is if there is an improvement in pitches, preparation and umpiring.

Reifer, who is head coach of the President’s XI squad facing the visiting England team this week in two two-day matches, is worried about the gap between the regional first-class game and Test cricket.

“The difference between our first-class cricket and the international game is a big gap. We have to understand that, and what we need to do is try to improve all round in our franchise cricket – from the pitches, preparation, to coaching, education, umpiring, in order to reach international standards.

“When guys come from first-class cricket and go straight into international cricket, they are basically learning the game as they play, which is difficult. We need academies, high-performance centres. We need all those things to bridge the gap between first-class cricket and the international game. Right now, it is a big gap,” said Reifer yesterday at a training session at the 3Ws Oval.

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