 Yet, balling off this Monday edition of the SportsMagZone with Cricket, Miles Baskham, the new director of cricket in the region, has been settling into the job two months after taking up the role. In August, Baskham replaced former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams, whose contract was not renewed. Under the new regime, led by President Kishore Shallow, Baskham will spearhead plans to develop the game in the region, with a particular focus on investing in the women's game. The former Winner-Allens batsman said this after his appointment. West Indies cricket is at a critical stage, with an urgent need to improve our performances. We have made significant progress with establishing a central high performance system that now needs to be rolled out across all of our territories. I am looking forward to working as a member of the CWI senior leadership team and closely with the territorial boards to bring about the necessary improvements that I am confident will lead to more success by implementing a robust system based on achieving world-class standards and by driving a winning culture. In his first act in the role, the 37-year-old oversaw the implementation of the West Indies women's academy, which was launched last Thursday in Antigua and Barbuda. Baskham says this is just the beginning. This move aligns with cricket West Indies' commitment to fostering the growth of women's cricket and investing in the development of players at all levels. We have ambitious plans and programs lined up to ensure sustained growth in women's cricket. Yeah, Miles Baskham joins us now on the Sports Bank Zone via Zoom. Miles Baskham, it's a pleasure to have you on the Sports Bank Zone. Who are you doing? I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. It's a pleasure to be here. Yeah, absolutely. Fantastic. Let's start with the women's academy that was launched last week Thursday. Important development for women's cricket across the region. Tell us a little bit more about this academy and why it is so significant for the growth of West Indies women's cricket. Well, we are quite aware that we need to offer as much support as possible to our women's players. The academies get at upskilling that level, those players who are just on the periphery of the West Indies senior team. In order to get them to what we would call world-class standards, we recognise the need to have those prospective international players in an environment where we set the standards for them, show them what the standards are, we ensure that they are competent in the skills, the various skills and we know that we need to drive this from cricket West Indies level because at present there isn't enough support for a lot of these young ladies in their respective territories. Yeah, Miles, there is absolutely no doubt that the academy will be beneficial to the growth of women's cricket in this region. But I want to take you up on something that you said about working closer with the territorial boards. And I tell you why, because I believe that if we are going to have the sustained success in women's cricket, that it must start within the territories and it must start at an early stage, meaning the coaching education that has been imparted to these young ladies from very early in their development, especially from a batting standpoint, which is where we have struggled. Is there a way that Miles Bascom as director of cricket can work closer with these territorial boards to greater assist them to get the youngsters, especially from a batting standpoint, get them going a lot earlier and get the proper training from as early as is possible? Yes, I think the key is having that alignment between CWI and our technical team here and the territorial boards in terms of objectives and goals and of course we would be very happy to learn support to all the territorial boards. Very soon after the Super 50, about a week or so after Super 50, Miles will be needing a technical delegation, if you want to call it that, around the territories. Fun enough, starting with Jamaica around the 19th of November, thereabouts. And the intention is to pretty much have an appraiser of what the situation is on the ground for each of these territorial boards slash franchise, so that we can best be able to work out what it is exactly, how we can align our resources and theirs to achieve exactly what you're talking about. Not only for senior men's, but also for age group levels and for grassroots levels as well. Right, and Miles, speaking about resources, I love what you all have started doing with the women's program, you know, a lot more money allocated where the budget is concerned for the women, travelling first class on international flights, it's really a good look and of course we're looking forward to see what else is done where women's cricket is concerned. So that aside, I also want to ask you about the bonus points for the Super 50 that's taking place right now and the importance of incentives like this to ensure that we continue to develop our cricket. Yes, and I think so far what I've realised is that my watchword is quickly becoming alignment, right, and the idea is to align our play across the territorial teams to the brand that we have, you know, that we have recognised that we want to play as an international, a one day international team. So what you have seen in terms of bonus points, those were taken effectively straight out of the playbook of the West Indies ODI head coach. Those are the targets that he would like to see his team meeting consistently across the various power play. That is the type of mindset that he wants the players across the region to have, you know, so that if we are all aligned, then we are pretty much competing to do, to perform the same roles within a West Indies team and you expect that the cream would always rise to the top and the more competition there is for those roles across the region, the stronger the system would be. You know, Miles, I have to ask you this, because you played some cricket yourself. At what point did you recognise that, you know, I don't want to play cricket anymore and I now want to serve in a management administrative capacity. And when you got the position, August this year, weren't you concerned because of the state that West Indies cricket has been for some time? Don't you think it's a major challenge? Yes, well, my, I wouldn't want to call it an enlightenment, but it became very clear to me when I was in the CCC setup actually. So I studied at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill and I played for the CCC and during that time, that is when I actually made it into a West Indies T20 team because I was able to take advantage of the structure that was there, right? There was a strong cricket structure. You had an indoor facility, you had gym. You pretty much had everything that you could ask for, you know, to keep your game moving forward. And when I saw what that did for me and for others who would have come through the CCC programme, you know, I thought that if we could have a similar type of structure surrounding our cricket in St. Vincent and in the windwards, then, you know, we could see similar advances, the way that I advance, you know, over a course of a few, a few short years, you know, in a system that had a good structure. That is what I wanted for a lot of the cricketers in St. Vincent and in the windwards and in the West Indies and all. All right, Miles, West Indies cricket has declined to such a low level that I think cricket fans accept that there is so much work to be done that things won't change overnight. Do you have any timeline targets that fans could could look for with regard to improving West Indies cricket? Because we know it's not going to happen next month or next year. Do you have a timeline for the next like five years or so where you would want to see as director of cricket, West Indies cricket go and improve? Well, it's difficult to put a time on it because the first step would be to ensure that we recognize what structures need bolstering in some cases and in other cases need implementing, you know, a fresh and it will be difficult to walk out, you know, over time, what impact that would make. But certainly in terms of planning wise, this Super 50 would be the start of a new four year cycle leading into a 2027 World Cup. So that is definitely one timeline that that that pretty much sets itself because we have to be in a position come 2027 not just to qualify for the World Cup, but but to compete for the for the championship. Well, that's certainly a start because when Ricky Skerritt and Dr. Kishore Shallow took over in 2019, they promised to rescue West Indies cricket from where Cameron had left it and it has plunged even further than when Cameron left it. So if you are suggesting that in 2027, you would like to see the West Indies qualify for the World Cup, which they haven't for this current one and not only qualify, but to to restore the name of of West Indies cricket. That is one thing. But test cricket and T20 cricket are also under your agenda. What are the plans for for those two formats as well to go with the 2027 50 over format that you just addressed? OK, well, we we definitely have designs on a very strong showing in the T20 World Cup next year. So we have we have a plan leading up to that World Cup, which would include camps and warm-up matches, opportunities for the head coach, to the head coach and selection panel, you know, to make their final selections leading into that World Cup. So most of the plans for T20 for T20 short term are pretty much set. I think long term, we have recognized that there is a need for a platform where emerging players can get into the into the T20 game. Currently with the CPL, I think we just we have just about 12 emerging players that get the opportunity to get some exposure in that tournament. And ideally, if we want to be able to to keep turning out players of the caliber of Dwayne Bravo and and Karen Pollard and Nicholas Puran, among others, we have to be able to we have to have a platform where these players can make their way on to the regional stage. So that is something that we are also looking at in terms of a domestic T20 tournament. So the discussions surrounding that had have started already in terms of test cricket, similar to what we have done for ODI cricket, where the the head coach has outlined his plan and his brand for ODI cricket and and then we have implemented some of that in terms of the bonus points for the Super 50 tournament. Come the 30th of November, when the teams all have a day off, the the head coach will meet with everybody and, you know, basically taught them through his his thinking around that brand right to make sure that, you know, all prospective West Indian players are aware of the requirements, you know, for making that that West Indies won the international team. The red ball head coach will do something similar after the end of the Super 50, as the teams move into their preparation for the regional 40. Coach Corley will also have the opportunity to go around to the to the franchises and and explain his brand and the direction that that he would like to take the West Indies red ball team. And of course, we will be given Coach Corley all the support that he needs in order to get that done. Yeah, Miles, a lot of the plans that you have outlined here today, they sound logical, which is always a very good thing. I want to get an understanding from you, though, as to the support that you feel from around the region, because I know that sometimes, especially at I want to say just 37 years old, and as a young man coming into such a pivotal role that there might be those out there who are saying, well, he's too young for the job. No, he's not the right man for the job. He didn't play enough matches at the test level. He didn't play enough matches at the one day international level. But what's the feeling? What's the reception that you have been feeling from around the region? The reception has been has been positive so far. I think while there are those persons who who may feel that way, as you just outlined, there are quite a few persons who have reached out and, you know, express their their happiness in seeing, you know, someone someone so young being given the opportunity. And, you know, I've gotten a lot of persons who, you know, wish me well, which I appreciate greatly. And I mean, I think it's it's a matter of time, with some time, as you said, we need to have solid, logical plans that have an underlying strong structure and so long as we can put those things in place. It's the same thing that coaches would tell the players you you trust your process and then the results would take care of themselves. Yeah. And have you gotten the commitment from cricket West Indies and the president a key shore shallow that not only have you been put in this position and you have their full backing in terms of the belief that you're able to do the job, but also the full backing in terms of the resources that you will require to get a lot of this done? Yes, I have definitely received the full support of the CWI board. One of the reasons why I am only now available to the media is it's a lot of it is because I wanted to be sure that when I when I came to say to speak to the public and to say something in a public forum that it is because I know that I have the support of cricket West Indies Management, CEO, and of course, the support of the board. So I receive full support for most of what I have. I have intended in terms of plans going forward and I definitely feel as though, you know, there is total alignment between board and management and the technical persons trying to execute. All right, Maz Baskham, we appreciate you joining us on the Sportsmax zone. Today it was a pleasure speaking with you and we look forward to the implementation of a number of these plans and to see how they will ultimately benefit West Indies cricket and hopefully we can see the results turning around in short order with the T20 World Cup to come next year and qualifying for the 50 over World Cup as well, not qualifying for the 50 over World Cup, but in preparation for the next 50 over World Cup as well. We look forward. Thank you very much and thanks for having me. All right, Maz Baskham, Director of Cricket at Cricket West Indies. Yeah, more to come on the Sportsmax zone.