Former West Indies middle-order batsman turned youth coach, Nevisian, Keith Arthurton has urged the regional body to put more effort into making sure talented youth cricketers go on to transition into successful senior players.
Arthurton, the left-handed batsman who played 33 Test and 105 One Day International appearances for the West Indies, was appointed as coach of the region’s under-15 squad in 2008.
Having seen a lot of promising youth players during his time, he believes there is no doubt that the talent is abundant but too many players for one reason or the other are unable to take the next crucial step.
One solution, Arhturton said he believes, is to develop avenues that serve to provide consistent exposure and high-level competition for players at that critical stage of their development. The coach revealed that the issue had already been broached with Cricket West Indies but, as it stands, concrete plans are yet to be fully fleshed out.
Arthurton said you may hear about an Under-21 team or an Under-23 team, but there is no continuation so it may happen for one or two seasons and then it is gone.
