PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - West Indies batting legend, Desmond Haynes, yesterday pleaded for a regional cricket academy, in order to get West Indies cricket back up the ladder.

Haynes was at the time delivering an address at the Sports Desk Symposium - at the Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre - entitled 'Rebuilding West Indies Glory'.

"Too much money is being spent by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) by bringing in these coaches from outside, when we in the Caribbean can do a better job. If I had to make a choice, I don't think I would appoint a coach of the West Indies team," Haynes said.

"Let me tell you as a former player that when you reach at the West Indies senior team level, it is very hard to change a player. I think that the West Indies Cricket Board should concentrate on cricket at the youth level and mould these players into winners."

Haynes said that former great West Indies players should be involved in assisting the young players at an academy.
"I am saying that a cricket academy in the West Indies is very crucial to our success. The former great players might not want to travel with the team day in, day out but they may want to still assist the players. Remember, these guys have families and they would have travelled a lot during their playing days. Now they may not want to continue that but more importantly, I think that they will be better served at the Academy than being around the Test team for just a few days before a match."

Haynes, now 52 years old, played 116 Test matches and 237 One Day International (ODI) matches between 1978 and 1994.

He struck 18 Test hundreds while averaging 42.29 and believes ex-players could add value to an Academy by conducting clinics with the players.

"What can be done is that the WICB sets up an academy and allow former players to come in and host clinics in the different disciplines. This would work well and will be of tremendous help to the young players," Haynes said.

"With the technology available to us right now, the coaches can sit at the academy and view videos of the players during their net sessions and matches and make recommendations to them. You don't have to be on the spot to make a change," he said.

Haynes added that a number of mini academies must be set up in each territory and players can then move on to the major academy from there.

The Barbadian batting stalwart added that a number of former players are willing to help but the WICB needs to put things in place to have them on board and must give them their full support.