ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (August 27, 2010) – With a view to defining a clear path for West Indies Cricket in the medium term, the WICB announces its newly developed Selection Criteria which will guide the WICB Selection Committee in the selection of all West Indies teams.
The Selection Criteria are based on the WICB’s position that clear timelines need to be established with regard to the development of consistently successful West Indies teams, and that there must be a definitive guide to the selectors in the execution of their mandate.
The WICB has outlined that the West Indies Twenty20 team should be a settled competitive unit by the ICC WT20 2012 in order to develop into a winning West Indies Twenty20 team by 2014 for the ICC World Twenty20 Tournament.
Similarly the WICB has also outlined that the West Indies One Day International team should be a settled competitive unit by ICC Champions Trophy 2013 so as to build towards a winning combination by the 2015 World Cup.
The WICB recognizes that the development of a consistently winning West Indies Test Team will take a longer period and in this regard will have to be reliant on the successes of specific team development programmes and of the West Indies A Team programme and the Sagicor High Performance Center.
The Selection Criteria – which is part of the Selection Policy Document – spells out, in detail, the attributes and benchmarks which the West Indies Selection Committee will examine and use in selecting players to the West Indies teams. The Criteria will complement the players’ skills sets and Team Development Strategy which has been prepared by the Team Coach and shows the technical skills each player is required to have for each form of the game and the strategic approach which will be used.
The Selection Criteria outlines that players must make themselves available to play in the WICB regional tournaments in order to be eligible to represent the West Indies.
Players will also be required to achieve and maintain a level of fitness and consistency of performance which are required for international cricket.
The Selection Committee will also pay close attention to the players dedication to personal and professional development, desire for excellence and overall discipline.
The players’ commitment to West Indies cricket and demonstrable pride in representing the region will also be under consideration.
“This document is of critical importance to the WICB as we set clearly re-defined benchmarks and standards for players as we continue to pursue the restructuring of West Indies Cricket,” said Chairman of the Cricket Committee Joel Garner.
”We want to ensure that there can be no doubt among players and the public as to what the requirements are for those who are and those who aspire to represent the West Indies teams,” Dr. Ernest Hilaire, CEO of the WICB explained.
The Selection Criteria were developed by the WICB Cricket Committee in conjunction with the Board of Directors and the Selection Committee. The next major action of the Cricket Committee is the finalization of the WICB Cricket Development Plan which is presently being compiled.
The Selection Criteria have been published on WindiesCricket.com so that any current or aspiring player will have unfettered access to it. Players are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Selection Criteria so that they may be aware of the specific outlines the Selection Committee will be taking into consideration.
