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The incentives being offered by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) during this year's Busta Cup season have been described as a publicity stunt.

Former professional cricketer Franklyn Stephenson told WEEKENDSPORT the incentives of $100 000 to the first Caribbean batsman scoring 1000 runs and a similar sum to the first bowler taking 65 wickets in the 2001 Busta Cup and International Shield Series were unrealistic.

"They don't want to pay out that money. Surely there is no intention of spending that $200 000. They are just creating advertising," said the former all-rounder.

He said he did not see any batsman or bowler taking home the money, at least not in seven games. Players will get the chance to play a maximum of nine matches if the side reaches the semifinals and final.

Rajindra Dhanraj holds the record for the most wickets in a regional season, taking 48 in six matches in 1996 while Barbados' batsman Floyd Reifer has the highest aggregate of 756 runs in a season that included 10 matches.

Stephenson added he would like to see the money spent to develop cricket in Barbados and the other territories.

"We have to make cricket professional. I've seen guys who get selected on the Barbados team who only have a pair of half-spikes. We should be looking to improve situations such as this."

Meanwhile, new Guyana cricket coach Mark Harper was quoted by the Caribbean News Agency as saying he was happy with the batting and bowling incentives offered by the WICB in this year's Busta Cup first- class series which started last week with four matches.

"I think it's great. I think it will be good for the players, something extra for them to shoot for and I think a lot of players will be looking to see if they can get closer to that," Harper said on a radio call-in sports programme.

"It will be difficult but I don't think it is impossible. Eighteen hits, a thousand runs. I think if you score four, five hundreds and a couple of fifties you will be very close to that," added Harper.

Speaking on the same programme on telephone link-up from Antigua, WICB executive secretary Andrew Sealy said there had been some encouraging performances during the first round of matches which ended on Monday.

"I don't want to say that these incentives are part of it but we have taken some time to go around and talk with each of the individual teams to explain the whole rationale behind the involvement of England `A' especially, and also the involvement of West Indies `B', as well as the whole concept of the special incentives," he said.

© The Barbados Nation