TTCB – News

Board approves new T&T cricket structure
July 23, 2011

THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB) on Saturday unanimously approved a draft proposal to restructure the National League cricket competitions at their third quarterly meeting held at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva.

Board Members voted overwhelmingly 36-3 in favour of the changes with two abstentions. The changes to the Premiership and Championship Divisions were occasioned by strong complaints made by a number of clubs and which was treated as a priority by the T&T Cricket Board. Two members abstained from the vote.

After the strong show of support on Saturday, president of the T&TCB Azim Bassarath expressed satisfaction with the process adopted by the committee he set up earlier this year after officials from both competitions raised their concerns mainly about the undue length of the season and the crippling cost of maintaining their club’s financial viability.

Bassarath on Saturday praised the work of the committee for establishing consensus among the Premiership and Championship Division clubs. It was headed by general secretary of the T&TCB Arjoon Ramlal and comprised Dr Allen Sammy , WICB Director; Patrick Rampersad, T&TCB executive member; Anil Kamal, secretary of the National League; and Sukesh Maniam, T&TCB treasurer.

“All matters were discussed at length at meetings held by the committee with more than 75 per cent of the National League clubs affiliated to the T&T Cricket Board and also with a wide cross-section of zone officials and we are confident that the changes will have a positive and significant impact on the standard of the game in the coming season,” said Bassarath.

The major change outlined by Bassarath is an expanded Premiership competition which would now comprise 12 teams, instead of the present 10 and that there will be no promotion or demotion following the recently concluded 2011 season.

“This change will not have a negative effect on any club as it afford the leading cricketers playing in the top tier of competition more opportunities in terms of matches played at the highest levels locally,” said Bassarath.

He said the T&TCB was of the view and supported by clubs across the board that the national players needed to play more cricket during the season to enhance their skill and abilities and take them up to the regional and Test level.

Bassarath said the other significant change which also got the green light for approval by the Board was the restructuring of the Championship Division into three zones of ten teams each who will now have to play nine matches instead of the customary 11. This he said was proving a disincentive to the financially struggling lower level clubs.

“The restructuring will make it easier for all clubs to develop their players in a competitive environment and move upwards through the ranks while at the same time addressing the major concerns raised which this season has been exercebated by the unseasonal rains,” said Bassarath.

The T&TCB chief said he was impressed with the job done by the committee which was able to report back only after a month following their mandate to examine the complaints of the clubs. Bassarath said their recommendations were accepted at the following quarterly meeting of the Board after which the committee met with the clubs to inform them and explain the benefits and wisdom of the restructuring exercise.

Bassarath said he was satisfied that everyone involved in the consultative process had ample opportunity to contribute to the debate and make suggestions to the committee which he said was taken into consideration before the final draft was made.