The relocation of the Windward Islands Volcanoes professional cricket franchise to Saint Lucia has been long in coming, Clement Marcellin, president of the Windward Islands Cricket Board (WICB), said on Friday.
He spoke at Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, where WICB and Saint Lucia’s Department of Youth Development & Sports signed a memorandum of understanding to make the move official, starting October 1.
The Volcanoes began in 2014, just before the first Cricket West Indies professional season. Since then, they have been based in Dominica, Grenada and most recently, St Vincent & the Grenadines. Marcellin credits Wayne Auguste, president of the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association, for making the move to Saint Lucia possible.
“It was not the first time or the second time it’s been offered that Saint Lucia would host,” Marcellin revealed. “But when you have brave leaders, people who are unafraid of uncertainty and will really put their best effort towards getting it done, it’s what makes life worth living.
“And I want to publicly congratulate Wayne for taking that bold stance, grabbing the opportunity. Because I believe Saint Lucia has a lot to offer in the advancement of Windward Islands cricket, and by doing so, contribute significantly to West Indies cricket.”
The cricket chief praised the Saint Lucia government, saying there is a “clear bias towards the advancement of youth through sports”. He also noted that professional coaches and players will now be able to work with students and players at the Saint Lucia Cricket High Performance Centre, most of whom are already on the Windwards pathway.
Auguste acknowledged the new opportunities this move brings for cricket in Saint Lucia. He also said the country is well positioned to make the most of this partnership.
“The partnership also complements the Government of Saint Lucia’s continued investment in high-performance sports,” said Auguste. “Saint Lucia established the region’s first dedicated national high-performance programme…. That, to me, demonstrates the government’s commitment to creating the environment necessary for athletes to succeed.”
Sports minister Kenson Casimir said the arrival of the Windwards franchise is the next phase in the holistic development of local sports. He mentioned the government supports grassroots development, a national under-15 programme, and the High Performance Centre.
“If you look at the work done in the background for the last five years, it really prepared us,” said Casimir. “The work done at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, the investment here; we got criticised for it, for this investment, but we are prepared to host any franchise, any cricket academy in the entire world right now, right here at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. The work done at the Mindoo Phillip Park, again, prepares us for this.”
The current administration has also improved community sports facilities in places like Des Barras and Balata. There are plans to enclose playing fields at Mon Repos and La Fargue in the next four to five years. Casimir said that while he is not biased toward cricket, the sport offers a lot for ambitious young people.
“The fact of the matter is, cricket remains one of the sports that can transform lives in Saint Lucia,” he said. “One CPL season can change somebody’s life forever. One performance at a regional match with the Volcanoes can put you on a West Indies squad that can change your life forever. And so this government has made the investment in cricket.
“And young people, you are encouraged to just be disciplined, invest the time, invest the effort and the discipline, and you can go anywhere in cricket in Saint Lucia, and of course, in the world… We are doing all we need to do to ensure that our young men and women can benefit from what we are doing, and they can move on in life, in sport, and economically.”
(TF)
