Who is popular today?

BY BRYAN DAVIS
THERE was a most interesting article by Jelani Beckles in the Newsday of December 30. He discussed the trend in recent cricketers with West Indian roots who opt to play for England in international cricket.
Because young Barbadian cricketers are the most sought after and have more connection with England in their background, they comprise the majority. This fact became newsworthy when Jacob Bethell, a Barbadian by birth, was announced vice-captain of England under-19 team for the 2022 International Cricket Council U-19 World Cup, which will be held in the Caribbean from January 14 to February 5.
Bethell, 18, has been living in England for the past few years after being offered a scholarship and is now a member of Warwickshire County Cricket Club. He represented Barbados at under-13 and under-15 cricket. He accepted an academic scholarship which allowed him to attend school in England and qualify for its youth and county cricket teams.
The question being asked is how this could affect the future of West Indies cricket as there are quite a few young cricketers born in the Caribbean, with family ties in the United Kingdom, that make their passage fairly easy to qualify for counties.
I wouldn’t be concerned with the loss of some youth players to England.
I feel pleased for them to have a choice; it is understandable. I don’t see it as competing against them; the idea of competition is doing better than one’s opponent, whoever he may be and wherever he’s from, it does not matter.
Although they might have been born in the Caribbean and learnt their cricket here, they might have thought the competition for places would have been difficult as there are fewer opportunities to advance because far less cricket is played. The young cricketer could be influenced by family members apart from his feelings for the game of cricket. Whatever the reason, the main goal is for the lad to enjoy his game wherever he may decide to lay down his anchor. It would never be that number of great players to make much difference to the spoils of WI cricket.
In the past, it wasn’t so simple. The majority of cricketers worldwide want to play cricket in England. It’s considered by cricketers to be the pinnacle of attainment. However, before 1968, overseas cricketers were not allowed to represent a county in first-class cricket (that’s three-day cricket), unless they were citizens or residents in Great Britain for three years.
In 1963, my brother Charlie Davis and I were offered contracts with Gloucestershire to play for the County.
[caption id="attachment_933989" align="alignnone" width="900"] Bryan Davis[/caption]
After careful consideration, the offer was refused. The rules were strict.
During that qualifying three years and beyond, one would not be allowed to represent Trinidad and Tobago or the West Indies ever again. One’s status was lost. At that time we were both playing for TT but not WI. As we both had dreams of representing WI to fulfil, it was pointless to accept their offer.
Sir Frank Worrell changed the cricket world when he was handed the captaincy of WI for the 1960/61 tour of Australia. That tour brought back fascination to Test cricket, after the disaster of the previous Australia/England Ashes series of 1958/59 when it was allowed to dissipate.
In 1963, WI toured England under Worrell.
The crowds at the five Test matches, which WI won 3-1, were huge. There were also large turn-outs at the county games against the touring team.
The English cricket authorities recognised the popularity of the WI cricket team and thought to capitalise on it. At that time every Test-playing country toured England per summer, except Australia that were guaranteed a tour every four years. After 1963, WI weren’t due to return until 1971. That was too long a wait for the anxious English authorities.
They rearranged the entire system of Test visits to their country, by introducing split tours every summer, except when Australia were the visitors, to accommodate the more frequent return of WI.
At that time the rules were adjusted to allow a maximum of two overseas players per County, one immediate, the second to attain residential qualification for one year.
This was 1968 when the floodgates were opened. All before this, cricketers from overseas who wanted to play in England professionally, yet maintain their international status, did so through obtaining contracts in the leagues for clubs that played only one day cricket, not first-class, hence, no restrictions.
More anon.
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