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Barbados' Busta Series team for 2002 should be one of the better prepared national teams in recent years.

In a departure from the norm, the team is expected to be picked by the end of this month at least five weeks ahead of the start of the competition.

That is a great thing. It will give us a month and some to actually prepare the representative squad, team coach Hendy Springer said yesterday.

Prior to this, you had two weeks or a week before the team actually played. More time

It will give some guys who are in the squad the opportunity to be together before they actually start to play. That is all part of teamwork.

The additional month, the coach said, would give the team more time for off-the-field sessions which would involve a host of activities geared towards developing players as persons.

To this end, a number of lectures and motivational sessions have been planned.

I believe that if you have got to develop as a cricketer, you have got to develop holistically, Springer said.

It is not only about batting, bowling, fielding and general cricket skills. You have also got to use life skills.

Cricket is a situation game. We've got to be able to handle situations, no matter how they come. They may come in the game or outside the game, but we must be well-rounded.

Topics such as injury prevention and management and handling pressure would also be on the programme.

That is very much needed when you've got youngsters or indeed the more senior players, Springer said.

In this 2001 era of first-class cricket, these are things that you need to be prepared for.

He was speaking during a training session at Queen's Park a day after the Barbados Cricket Association announced there were four additions to its year-round training programme.

The newcomers to the squad are Spartan fast bowler Philip Browne, fellow pacer Fidel Edwards of YMPC, Combined Schools captain and left-arm spinner Derick Bishop and Cable & Wireless BET all-rounder Ryan Layne.

Three trial matches have been scheduled from November 9 to 12, 16 to 19 and 23 to 26 at venues to be announced later.

© The Barbados Nation