Ambrose calls for cricket's overhaul in Antigua

St John’s (Antigua): Former West Indies pacer Curtley Ambrose believes that an overhaul of the entire structure of Caribbean cricket is needed for the game to improve.

Ambrose said more attention should be paid to development of talent at the grassroots level, reports CMC.

Ambrose bemoaned the lack of Antiguans on territorial teams citing demise of quality in the island’s cricketers.

“I mean, when you look at Antigua national team, Leeward Islands and even the West Indies team, we don’t have any Antiguans really on the West Indies team and that to me is sad because when West Indies were at their strongest they had Antiguans on that particular team and I am proud to say that,” said Ambrose.

“I think we need to look after our cricket here in Antigua a bit better and a little more so that we could get a few more international cricketers,” he said

Ambrose said the structure at school-level must be changed first.

“I believe that the whole structure needs to change from schools level and come right up because you can’t change the top level and the bottom isn’t good. You have to start from the grassroots level.

“I believe sometimes there are too many teams and you got some teams that are just not ready and I believe we should not just have 12 teams so we have numbers. If it means taking six teams so that you can get quality, then so be it,” said Ambrose, who turns 50 next Saturday.

Ambrose, who played his last Test for the West Indies against England at The Oval in 2000, took 405 Test wickets and 225 in the ODIs. In all, he played 98 Tests and 176 ODIs.