ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC):
A philosophy of refinement over revolution is already paying dividends for West Indies cricket.
As Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) High-Performance Batting Tour wraps up its fifth leg in Jamaica today, the programme is being hailed as a success after reaching approximately 60 emerging batters and dozens of regional coaches through a strong emphasis on individualised development.
The tour, which began on September 24 and concludes in Antigua from October 23-26, has already visited the Windward Islands, Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Led by newly appointed CWI batting consultant Bob Carter and high-performance coach Rohan Nurse, the four-day camps are designed to sharpen the skills of some of the region’s most promising talent, while simultaneously building the capacity of local coaches.
A key feature of the programme has been Carter’s approach to player development. Rather than implementing wholesale changes to a batter’s technique, the focus has been on identifying small adjustments capable of producing significant improvements.
“No one likes change, but people don’t mind tweaking something,” Carter explained. “My approach is to identify the one per cent improvement that could make all the difference to a player’s performance and output.”
The methodology has resonated with both players and coaches across the region.
A coach in Barbados praised Carter for “underscoring simplicity and holding players to a high standard”, while a coach in Guyana highlighted the timeless value of the lessons being taught.
“The fundamentals don’t change. How you execute that is how you will become successful or remain successful.”
For players, the intensity and structure of the sessions have been among the programme’s biggest benefits.
West Indies Under-19 top-order batsman Zachary Carter said the experience differed significantly from his regular training environment.
“The intensity and standards of the sessions were higher than what I’m used to,” he said. “They were more structured and challenging, with a strong focus on technique, decision-making, and my bat swing.”
Shadrack Descarte, the St Lucia and Windward Islands all-rounder, also came away encouraged by the experience.
“I came away confident that I have what it takes to perform well and adapt to any playing conditions,” he stated. “It simply requires a dedicated approach to how we train.”
The programme’s benefits have extended beyond players, with local coaches progressing from observation to active coaching responsibilities over the four-day camps.
Cleton Burnett, a CWI Pathway coach in St Vincent and the Grenadines, underscored the value of the collaborative approach.
“A lot of the things he spoke about are not necessarily new knowledge in terms of technique, but the methods, and how we go about assisting players; not necessarily changing them but, as he would say very often, tweaking.”
Carter believes the programme has provided a sustainable model that territories can adopt and replicate.
“They don’t have to rely on CWI all the time,” he said. “There are some excellent coaches in the region, and they have now seen what a four-day programme looks like. We’ve given them a template, so all they need to do now is replicate that approach.”
The appetite for the initiative has continued to grow, with players and coaches calling for longer and more frequent camps, as well as an expansion of the programme to include younger age groups and female players.
