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I have said for quite some time that the Barbados cricket selectors need to be politically correct to get in sync with the several changes in West Indies cricket and for Barbados not to be left behind.

How timely then for them to blood a number of youngsters in the training squad announced to prepare for Barbados' first Busta game against Guyana at Kensington Oval.

I give them a perfect 10 for their foresight.

At this stage it can't only be about picking a team that must win the Busta Cup or any other cup but ideally we need the type of selections that will present the West Indies selectors with many more options than we are providing at the moment.

We are mainly to blame for the fact that Barbados, once looked upon to produce most West Indies cricketers, struggles these days to get even a handful of players on the regional team.

The truth is that our standard at club level may have dropped but I don't think it's any worse than what obtains in the other islands but the difference is that the other territories recognise the talent of young players and thrust them into the firing line from earlier.

Most take a little time to blossom but it's the long-term investment that brings reward to their deliberate gamble.

The evidence is commanding: Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Jermaine Lawson are all current West Indies players who got early experience in the senior after being outstanding at the youth level.

On the other hand, we have only been left to ponder about what could have been for the likes of Ian Bradshaw and Shirley Clarke only if they had been exposed much earlier after graduating from the youth ranks.

I am not trying to say that we assemble our team with all young players but we have to put the promising ones to learn from the seasoned and experienced crop so that there will be a smooth transition when age, loss of form or whatever cause may make the older players ineligible.

The recent selection of the team epitomises this and it should bear fruit once those responsible for choosing the final eleven are brave enough to take the next logical step by including the youngsters that qualify by merit and circumstance.

The exposure we give them could very well determine if we have a chance of increasing our numbers in the West Indies team.

And surely the pronouncements of coach Roger Harper that West Indies need to find tearaway fast bowlers again to win Test matches make an obvious case for the inclusion of both Tino Best and Fidel Edwards in the first match against the Guyanese.

In fact, I believe that Harper's statement on the return from the ill- fated trip to Sri Lanka may have influenced the local selectors to include them even if they had second thoughts.

If his trip to the Bradman Academy in Australia wasn't going to make him ineligible for the first match, I would have recommended the inclusion of 16 year-old Martin Nurse in the starting line up for the Guyana match.

The belligerent Dwayne Smith and the nonchalant Kurt Wilkinson should also provide stiff challenges for middle order places although I don't believe that both will start.

For now, the selectors have made a step in the right direction by heeding the call to give more youth a chance.

Once given the opportunity to play it's up to them to grab it with both hands.

© The Barbados Nation