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Desmond Haynes always has a lot to say on cricket, and whenever he speaks on the subject, he commands instant attention.

Such was the case last Saturday night when he was honoured during a dinner at the Carlton club which he has served with distinction for 25 years.

"Cricket in Barbados is at the crossroads. There has been talk about the continuing decline and there have been numerous suggestions to remedy the situation," he told the audience.

"I, however, contend that in order for our cricket to move forward and become sustainable, there are some simple steps that we must follow."

It must start at club level, the former Barbados captain and West Indies opening batsman said.

Clubs, he stressed, must improve their facilities, scope the best players and offer a good programme.

"These are features that are emerging at Carlton and I am proud to be part of this resurgence," said Haynes, the club's newly-elected junior vice-president.

He also touched on the newly-installed concrete practice strips and plans to put an irrigation system in place.

"Hopefully we would be encouraging some of the BCA [Barbados Cricket Association] members to come and have a look at what we've got," he said.

"I'm sure what we've got here is a lot better than what Windward can offer."

Surely, he feels Carlton will be in contention to host first-class matches in the not too distant future.

Haynes also said it was important to encourage club members to share in all club activities, rather than just play a sport.

"Clubs cannot survive on players' subscriptions only," he said.

"Each club member must get involved in all the club's fund-raising activities."

One must also be prepared to embrace changes, and Haynes is among those looking forward to the new format of the upcoming Division1 competition in which play will start at 11 a.m. daily for the first time in history.

"I anticipate that more of our talented players will reap benefits out of the arrangement and may go on to compete at the highest level," he said.

© The Barbados Nation