WICB boss reignites gender debate in cricket

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Controversial Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron has reignited the gender debate in cricket, insisting again more men were needed in the game’s development in order to facilitate the growth of the sport in the region. Attempting to clarify comments regarding the gender issue which caused a furore last month, the Jamaican administrator told media here that because “boys learn from men”, it was important to address the “specific issue”. “Of course, we want female (physical education) teachers at schools, but that was not the issue,” Cameron said following the launch of CWI’s Chirpy’s Classroom Adventure academic manual at the Hyatt Regency Hotel here. “The issue is we need more men if we are going to grow the game of cricket specifically for the male side because boys learn from men, which is a specific issue.” Cameron argued that unlike other sports, cricket was “technical”, suggesting the need for greater male involvement. “The game of cricket, ok, while it’s technical or whatever the case is, requires a little bit more than track and field and football,” he asserted. Cameron copped heavy criticism for comments last month when he told the Jamaica Gleaner that cricket development at the school level had been hindered by the presence of female physical education teachers who “don’t know cricket”. This, he argued, had been a significant change from previous years where males had been dominant in the developmental process. “Firstly, we only have female PE teachers – which is a problem. Most of them don’t know cricket,” Cameron said at the time. “The game of cricket is very complicated. They don’t know the history and neither are they interested. That becomes an issue. When we went to school, most of our PE teachers, if not all, were male. “So they coach cricket, football, track and field, and we’re not getting that anymore.” Trinidad and Tobago Education Minister, Anthony Garcia, blasted Cameron over the comments at the time, arguing female PE teachers were fully equipped and trained to aid in cricket development. “Our female teachers are as qualified as our males,” he was quoted as saying by the Trinidad NewsDay. “In fact, at UWI we have programmes in physical education and coaching – those programmes are up to the Masters level, and both male and female teachers have been accessing that programme for a number of years.” He added: “I do not hold much talk to what Dave Cameron says. In fact, Dave Cameron’s contribution to West Indies cricket has resulted in the demise of cricket in the West Indies, and as a result I will not pay attention to what he says