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Based on what seemed to be a policy to develop some of the more promising young players around, it would have been a most welcomed bonus if Barbados had won either the Busta Cup or the Busta Shield.

That they should not be any cause for national mourning eventhough it is natural for the supporters to expect that Barbados would be in the mix up given the fact that they have won the regional tournament a record 16 times.

On the other hand, though, it is still necessary to analyse the positives and the negatives. With respect to the first category,the selectors should be congratulated for showing courage in the first place in putting some emphasis on development, eventhough some would debate whether as many as four youngsters would have made the original squad had some of the stalwarts not gone off to Sharjah with the West Indies.

The fact is that they were given a chance which some years earlier might have been just an illusion. What, a 16 year-old in the Barbados team in 2002?

But Martin Nurse was given the greenlight and eventhough he didn't have the success all would have wished for, the forward thinking of the selectors could be applauded.

Lest we forget, Ramnaresh Sarwan made his regional debut at 15 and today at 21 he's a West Indies player and a key middle order batsman at that. There's hope for Nurse.

Both Kurt Wilkinson and Dwayne Smith had their moments during the season. The former made a century but generally he needs to build on the good starts he gets.

After all,there are international cricketers his age who are making big runs consistently,he can do it too once he's determined to. The latter scored a match-saving hundred against the Leewards and showed glimpses of what he can deliver.

The notable point about this innings was that Smith played with his usual aggression and certainly strikes us as having the kind of star quality that will full the stands around the region and possibly the world once he successfully negotiates his learning curve.

Suleimann Benn, like Wilkinson, was having his second season in regional cricket having played for the West Indies "B" last year,and he bowled his left-arm spin with the control and the penetration we've come to expect but I think the pleasant element of surprise in his play was the development of his batting.

I am sure he would've been quite aware that cricketers with two hands,so to speak,stand a good chance of being part of the West Indies team which must find places for more allrounders to keep on level terms with other international squads.

With respect to all the other hopefuls, though, I think the most startling revelation would have been fast bowler Tino Best whose pace not only shook up batsmen but impressed even critics from neighbouring islands. And knowing how insular we can be, it stands to reason that Best is being seen as a genuine prospect for West Indies cricket.

If there's a minus for the selectors it would be with respect to the dropping of Best after the test stars returned from Sharjah.Having created such a stir especially at a time when the West Indies need genuine fast bowlers,a place should've been found for Best without affecting the balance of the team.

Besides, what would it have mattered anyway if we were intent on grooming players?This is the one instance that I believed the selectors lost focus but I'm still confident that the youthful firebrand will come into the reckoning for West Indies selection at one level or the other.

Another clear negative was the way acting captain Philo Wallace handled his young charges especially in the media. While he might've been frustrated at some points it was just as necessary for him to have shown greater patience taking into account that in a lot of cases it takes time to make the transition from one stage to another.

It would,though,be remiss not to mention that some kudos would be in order for some of the seasoned players like Courtney Browne whose batting was on par for once with his wicket-keeping; Floyd Reifer,under pressure to perform, fought back gamely with the bat in the latter stages of the assignment and Ian Bradshaw was more than a capable spearhead of the bowling attack in the absence of Pedro Collins and Corey Collymore. Wallace, too, had his moments and is perhaps still the most feared batsman in the team.

Skipper Sherwin Campbell and Ryan Hinds came back from Sharjah and stamped their dominance the way test players should when they play at a lower level. The latter's maiden first-class century was overdue and there should be many more to come.

For a change Barbados' individual success overshadowed team success. In so doing they might have presented the West Indies selectors with a few more options.

© The Barbados Nation