By Azad Ali Fron Caribbean Life

Newly-appointed West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chairman of selectors, Clive Lloyd has indicated that youth development will be his primary focus in helping revive West Indies cricket.

The former West Indies captain has been given a two-year contract.

Lloyd said that in order to ensure West Indies’ ascension in the ICC Test rankings, emphasis must be placed on honing the potential of youngsters at the regional Under-19 level, something he felt was undervalued in the past.

“We have always had a lot of talent at the Under-19 level but we lost a lot of these young cricketers,” he said.

Lloyd pointed to the High Performance Center in Barbados as ideal for inculcating the skills youth cricketers needed to progress.

According to Lloyd, the facility would be crucial in instilling a mindset adapted to the rigors of Test cricket in the younger players.

He also stressed that West Indies needed to be more formidable and mentally stronger to regain respectability in Tests. West Indies are currently ranked eighth in the ICC Test rankings and have not won a series against a top-eight side since August 2011.

The side suffered a 2-0 series defeats on their tours to India and New Zealand and recently lost a three-Test series at home to New Zealand.

Speaking about the recent changes made by the WICB, Lloyd thinks that is what regional cricket needed to take the game to a higher level.

The changes to the selection committee, includes former fast bowlers Eldine Baptiste and Courtney Walsh.

The WICB said that former wicketkeeper Courtney Browne has been retained on the panel, while current head coach Ottis Gibson joins as a non-voting member.

But previous chairman, former Test off-spinner Clyde Butts and former leg-spin all-rounder Robert Haynes have been dropped.

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2014/8/2014-08-14-azad-cricket-cl_2014_8.html

IMAGE; www.sportskeeda.com

Related story

Taijul flies for the Caribbean

By Mazhar Uddin From Dhaku Tribune

Bangladesh team management decided to call him up

Young left-arm spinner Taijul Islam left for the Caribbean yesterday night as the Bangladesh team management decided to call him up after the visitors badly missed the services of a left-arm spinner during the first ODI defeat against the West Indies on Wednesday.

It was mentioned earlier that Taijul, along with Shuvagata Hom and pacemen Shafiul Islam and Robiul Islam will be joining the Tigers for the two-match Test series. Taijul was supposed to come in as a replacement for veteran left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak following the conclusion of the ODI series and the lone Twenty20 international. However, it was learned that Taijul might now play some part in the solitary T20I on August 27.

The quartet who are scheduled to return home after the limited-over leg of the tour are Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Taskin Ahmed, Razzak and Mithun Ali.

Chief selector Faruk Ahmed explained the reasoning behind the decision to bring back the four cricketers after the three ODIs and T20I. “As I earlier informed, Mashrafe and Taskin will not be playing the Test series and they will be replaced by two other fast bowlers. Taijul has played recently in the West Indies with the Bangladesh A team where he took wickets. Shuvagata will add some strength in the middle order,” said Faruk.

Taijul picked up nine wickets in the two four-day matches for the second-string side in the West Indies. Before leaving for the Caribbean, the 22-year old expressed his confidence about putting on a good show.

“I have variety in my bowling and my main strength is my line and length and if I can apply those properly I am confident of bowling well in the West Indies,” said Taijul.

He also added that he will not face extra pressure replacing the experienced Razzak and informed that he is desperately waiting to enter the field.

For more on this story go to: http://www.dhakatribune.com/cricket/2014/aug/23/taijul-flies-caribbean#sthash.1gMd3DrM.dpuf

IMAGE: www.thedailystar.net660