Cricket West Indies (CWI) has commenced a second round of essential coaching courses across the Leeward Islands and St. Vincent, aiming to strengthen the pipeline of Caribbean cricket talent.
The initiative is critical to CWI’s strategy to build a deep and qualified pool of coaches, preparing for the restart of primary school and community grassroots programs.
The training aims to equip local coaches with the skills needed to nurture the next generation of cricket stars.
The program began on Oct. 2 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua & Barbuda. It will move across the region, with stops scheduled for Montserrat, the British and US Virgin Islands, St. Maarten & Anguilla, and a final session in St. Vincent on Oct. 30.
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said, “Investing in coaching education at this early stage is essential to building a solid foundation for the growth and future sustainability of the sport in the region.”
“By equipping coaches with the right tools and knowledge, we are creating a more inclusive and sustainable cricket pathway,“ he added.
Bascombe highlighted that this newly trained cohort of coaches will directly benefit flagship development programs like the Republic Bank Limited (RBL) Five for Fun Cricket and the Girls Under-16/19 Territorial Cricket Hubs.
Two highly qualified coaches, Brendon Ramlal and Keshava Ramphal, are leading the courses from Trinidad & Tobago. Both Level 3 certified and with extensive backgrounds in education, they bring over a decade of experience in age-group cricket development.
In a key move for player safety, CWI mandated that all participating coaches complete the online UNICEF Child Protection Course and a virtual Cricket Safeguarding Workshop before beginning their training. This ensures every coach is prepared to provide young players a safe and supportive environment.
A successful first round of the program that included over 150 participants in territories including Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad & Tobago, signalled CWI’s continued commitment to rebuilding the sport from the ground up.
