Barbados' idle youth cricketers want to come home.
After the Bajans' second attempt to start the watered-down Nortel youth cricket championship was again thwarted by rain yesterday, the players spelt out in no uncertain terms that they had endured enough frustration.
Coach Richard Straker even feels his team will not bowl a single ball in the tournament which has been hampered by rain since the July 8 start.
With sunshine prevailing for most of last week, there would have been some encouragement ahead of yesterday's start of the re-jigged One-Day championship. But that optimism quickly vanished because of a combination of early morning rain, inadequate covers, a soggy outfield and persistent drizzles in mid-morning.
The end result was that both Barbados and the Leewards will have to return to the Squadron ground, in Arouca, this morning to try their luck again.
But the Barbadians do not want to.
As they waited while the umpires delayed things before calling it a day at 2:30 p.m., all but one team member told NATIONSPORT that the tournament should be abandoned.
``I am very frustrated. I am on the verge of wanting to go home. It does not seem as if this tournament will be played,'' opening batsmen Corey Yearwood said while the players kept themselves busy with card games, table tennis and pool.
``We are just watching rain all the time. I feel we should go home because we are not doing anything,'' said wicketkeeper Corey Glasgow.
The only Barbadian player who was willing to give the weather another chance was vice-captain Jason Haynes. He, however, was annoyed that the three-day championship was changed to a One-Day competition in mid-stream.
Disadvantage
``I really came here excited and prepared to play three-day cricket. I think it it ridiculous to switch to a One-Day competition at such short notice. That has put me at a disadvantage,'' said the left-handed opener who, along with batsman Anthony Hurley and left-arm spinner Jedson Yarde, was to be left out from Barbados' final XI.
Each passing day brings more frustration and coach Straker feels his team will remain idle for some time.
``I have actually told the guys that we are not going to get a ball bowled in this tournament. I have been proven true so far,'' he said.
The Leewards camp is also disgruntled.
Sylvester Joseph, their captain and the most experienced player in the tournament, summed up their frustration.
``I feel we should do that too (go home). I know that the authorities know that this is the rainy season. It is real stupidness to host the tournament at this time of the year,'' he said.
The comments were made while the umpires delayed their inevitable decision to call off proceedings.
On the journey from Port-of-Spain to the ground in the east there was plenty of sunshine, but on arrival it was found that identical covers which proved faulty in Barbados' scheduled three-day against the Windward Islands at the University of the West Indies last week, had again failed the test.