Coach Allen wants better cricket structure

If Ian Allen gets his way, the annual Senior Windward Islands Cricket Tournament would be longer, and a proper structure put in place, if better results are to be attained.{{more}}

Allen, the Windwards senior team coach, believes that lack of preparation hindered the team’s performance at the just concluded KFC Cup, the one day series of the regional competition.

The Windwards, semi finalists in the three previous tournaments, and losing finalists earlier this year, were ousted from the preliminary round that was held in Guyana last month.

“There needs to be a proper structure to produce results in our favour”, Allen told SEARCHLIGHT.

“The Windwards did not prepare enough, and the guys did not play enough cricket prior to the competition, and were not in the best frame of mind”, Allen added.

Prior to the team’s departure for the South American continent, the four teams were involved in the Windwards three day and one day competitions here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

But for Allen, the players are not playing enough cricket, and he is calling for an expansion of the annual tournament.

Allen’s recommendation came in light of the team’s improvement as the one day tournament progressed.

“We played better as the tournament went on”, the former St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Windwards and West Indies fast bowler observed.

“ We played badly against Trinidad and Tobago, but against Guyana lost in the last over, and then went on to beat the Combined Universities comfortably”, Allen stated.

Ironically, this year’s tournament saw the return of the round robin format, but the reverse in the fortunes was the result.

Allen singled out the performance of Darren Sammy and debutante Donwell Hector as encouraging, but was disappointed in the returns of West Indies opener Devon Smith.

Again, Allen pointed to the need to get players in match situations leading up to tournaments.

Pressed into his views of the coach not being part of the selection committee, Allen said that has been a policy for years, and he respects the Windwards Board’s decision.

Allen’s future as coach of the senior team for the Carib Beer Series, set for early next year, is left to the policy makers in the four territories, who should make a review of his tenure soon.

Allen said in the meantime, he is looking towards continued enhancement of his coaching credentials, and is spreading his options outside the region, in order to lift his game.

Allen is still upbeat that he was among regional coaches who were considered for the top post of coach of the West Indies, a job that has since gone to Australian John Dyson.(RT)