QPCC Awards dinner - Feature Address
December 1st 2008

Arthur: Windies cricket in crisis

Former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur said the current West Indies squad is no less talented than those of yesteryear, but they are facing more organised teams.

The Caribbean statesman was delivering the feature address of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club on Friday night. The function took place at the club’s ‘Banquet Hall’ at the Oval in Port-of-Spain.

Arthur told the distinguished gathering, which included former West Indies players Joey Carew, Bryan Davis and Randall Lyon, and up and coming regional cricketers, Kieron Pollard and Darren Bravo, that although the West Indies cricket team is the greatest institution in the Caribbean, there was "malice" in West Indies cricket, which is not in the best interest of the game.

“ West Indies cricket is the greatest institution in the Caribbean. It has broken down barriers in the region.

"What needs to be done, must be done to return West Indies to the place it once stood. Sports is just not business, but big business. "We need to create a company with a clear business plan answerable to stakeholders, and if this is not done, West Indies cricket will go from crisis to crisis,” Arthur said. Arthur stated that he is saddened that the West Indies Cricket Board has not sought to act on the PJ Patterson report.

He added that West Indies Cricket Board must be organised to pay the players and they in turn must take pride in winning.

Arthur told the youngsters in the audience that he regretted clubs were no longer eager to discipline members who did not pay their dues yet attended nets.

He was saddened that the practice of cricketers socialising with their peers to learn the psychology and fine points of the game was no longer a trend.

Promising footballer goalkeeper Jason Sheppard was named ‘Sportsman of the Year’. Sheppard played every minute of the club’s fixture and his amazing season is perhaps the chief reason QPCC won the North Zone League title for the first time in 12 years.

It is also the reason that Queen’s Park is playing in the North Zone FA final today at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

Sheppard was presented with his award by Arthur.

Former T&T and West Indies Under-19 off-spinner Sunil Narine won the ‘Cricketer of the Year’ title ahead of T&T and West Indies allrounder, Kieron Pollard, T&T’s batsmen Daron Cruickshank, Kevon Cooper and Justin Guillen.

Narine’s batting average in 2008 was 30.00 and his tally of wickets this season included 20 in the National League and 15 in the 20/20 competitions.

The Peter Waithe award for the ‘Youth Cricketer of the Year’ went to promising allrounder Kevon Cooper.

Cooper scored 374 runs and captured 12 wickets in the local domestic competitions.

Well-known administrator Stephen Almandoz was the recipient of the Kingston Trophy, while the Phil Thompson ‘Youth Personality of the Year’ award was won by talented cricketer Nicholas Arthur.

Selected Honour Roll

National Awardee: Bernard Dulal-Whiteway - Chaconia Medal Gold-Business

Phil Thompson Youth Personality of the Year: Nicholas Arthur

Peter Waithe Award: Youth Cricketer of the Year - Kevon Cooper

Kingston Trophy: Stephen Almandoz

Junior Nominees: Squash - Kale Wilson, Hockey - Matthew Tang Nian, Cricket -Kevon Cooper

Junior Sportsman: Kale Wilson

Five Cricketers of the Year: Daron Cruikshank, Kevon Cooper, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Justin Guillen.

Cricketer of the Year: Sunil Narine.

Senior Players of the Year: Football - Jason Sheppard; Squash -Joshua Pinard; Hockey - Darren Cowie; Cricket - Sunil Narine.

Sportsman of the Year: Jason Sheppard