We join with the rest of the national community in congratulating our national team on returning the Caribbean T20 Cricket title.

While we congratulate the national team, we recognise there are no Tobago players on the team at present. Navin Stewart of Roxborough was the last Tobagonian on the team. Before him, there was Lincoln Roberts who went on to play one test match on the West Indies Test cricket team.

We must see this situation as a challenge to be overcome. It means we have got to place more emphasis on cricket development among our youth in Tobago. The fact that the national team has established itself as a major force in Caribbean cricket is because of the extensive development work which has been taking place in Trinidad in conventional and windball cricket.

There are well organised club structures, such as Queen's Park Cricket Club, Moosai Sports, Power Gen, Wanderers, Clarke Road and much more.

In addition, there are indoor facilities for training and numerous grounds for playing the sport. Also a number of Caribbean stars ply their trade in Trinidad cricket competitions. Some Tobago players also get contracts with Trinidad clubs.

We in Tobago have young strong youth who if put in the right development structure could possibly reach somewhere in the game. Kerron Pollard is now a multimillionaire because of his strength and power within the cricketing structures in Trinidad.

At present, there are a number of teenage youth in sports elite programmes in Tobago and they must be the base from which we expand our cricketing pool, These youth are extremely talented and must be given the support possible to assist them to develop their talent in the sport. We will name some of the Tobago youths who could possibly put Tobago on the cricket map if given the chance to improve their skills. Adrian Alexander, Ashworth Burnette, Kelon Lynch, Dejon Charles, Gavindra Ramlogan, Antonio Providence, Shaquille Duncan and Ronaldo Lezama; let us give our cricketing youth a chance to shine!