‘Coaches should have had more say in TCL rule change’ – Evans

Aug 01, 2009 Sports

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Calls for longer rest period between matches

By Sean Devers in Jamaica In association with Digicel, TCL, Western Union, Pepsi, Smalta, Demerara Power Company & Michelle Playter’s Modeling Agency

Guyana Under-19 cricket Coach Hubern Evans feels that the Coaches should have had more say in the adjustment of the rule regarding the number of consecutive overs to be bowled by fast bowlers in this year’s TCL Regional Under-19 One-Day competition here in Jamaica.
The WICB, in an effort to protect the region’s teenage fast bowlers from possible injury due to overwork, implemented a rule that no fast bowler can bowl more than six overs in any session of the 3-Day competition or in any one spell in the One-Day version of its Regional Under-19 competitions.
This was done after Trinidad and Tobago pacer Ravi Rampaul was over bowled in the 2002 tournament in Jamaica resulting in him being troubled by injury which affected his career.
Rule 6 of the TCL One-Day competitions states-: No Bowler shall bowl more than 10 overs in an innings. For the purpose of this competition, no fast or medium fast bowler shall bowl more than six overs consecutively. No fast or medium fast bowler, after the completion of his sixth over shall not commence his remaining overs before at least 40 minutes have elapsed.
This rule was changed when the Managers met with WICB representative Derrick Nicholas at a meeting on the eve of the commencement 3-Day competition last month but Evans, a former Guyana First-Class left-handed batsman and the country’s national Under-19 Coach since the 2004 tournament in Jamaica, feels the Coaches should have had more say in the matter.
“It’s now up to the Coaches and Captain anyhow on how they use the pacers but I believe if a rule has been written into the playing conditions that deals with the cricket in the middle the Coaches should be involved if there is going to be a change just before the tournament starts” Evans opined.
He said the rule put in place to prevent teams, in the interest of just winning at all cost, from overusing their pacers since this (TCL) competition is supposed to be a developmental tournament for West Indies cricket.
Evans, who also played against the touring Australians for Guyana in the 1970s, also pointed out that the extreme heat in Jamaica should have been taken into consideration before the rule change.
Evans, who coached the Guyanese to back-to-back 3-day championship honours under Steven Jacobs’ captaincy in 2006 in Guyana and 2007 in St Kitts and to a second place finish in Barbados last year, also feels the rest period between matches is too short.
“After Coaches and Managers complained, the WICB put in two rest days between matches last year but maybe because of lack of funds…..I don’t really know….we have gone back to just the one rest day this year and it is affecting the players,” he said.
“Jamaica is very, very hot and to have these youngsters play 3-days of cricket then practice the next day and then start another 3-day game is really asking a lot in these conditions since you have to play 15 days of cricket in 19 days and still have practice sessions.
We must also remember that we have a One-Day tournament to play which includes four matches in 5 days after the first round game,” Evans pointed out.
In St Kitts two years ago several Coaches (including former West Indies Test batsman and Trinidad and Tobago Coach Larry Gomes) publicly lamented that the players were being burnt out due to the hectic schedule resulting in 2-days between games being penciled in last year’s competition.
Guyana’s Manager Alvin Johnson, who has managed the team since the 2003 tournament in Guyana, also feels that the present fixtures could rob teams of being properly prepared for games.
“This is in no way an excuse for our (Guyana’s) poor showing this year but the fixtures leaves teams with little options in terms of practice between games since many times the players have to use the one rest day to recuperate for the next match and have to forgo practice sessions.
We need to revert to the 2 rest days so that players can practice and still get some rest. These are youngsters and the future of West Indies cricket,” Johnson said.
The non-Jamaica matches have attracted very little attention by the local media and the spectators have not been attending matches although entrance free.
Many Jamaicans claim the promotion of the 6-team competition, which is being sued to select a West Indies Under-19 squad for this year’s senior Regional One-Day competition in Guyana and next year’s Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, has not been great which has contributed to the lack of crowds at venues.
The second round of the One-Day competition is scheduled for today with three matches.

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