Four months after being selected for the prestigious ICC Future Leaders Programme, Chevon Prescod has emerged as a dedicated advocate for unlocking the untapped potential of women’s cricket in Barbados.
Having long served as a scorer at all levels of local cricket, Prescod was presented with the significant opportunity in 2024 to assume the role of Barbados’ Senior Cricket Manager for the Women’s Super 50 Cup and the Twenty20 Blaze. This experience of working closely with the team reignited her love for the sport and instilled in her the confidence to apply for a mentorship opportunity with prominent international cricket administrators.
Speaking in an interview with Nation News, the 36-year-old real estate agent recounted the moment she received the news last October that she had made it onto the global shortlist of 15 candidates selected to attend workshops in Dubai.
“It was really mind-blowing!” Prescod shared. “When I applied, I was sent a link by a former boss (Paul Skinner) who I worked under during the Caribbean Premier League, and I just applied. It wasn’t something I had really thought through. But when I got selected, it was like, wow, I really did make it!”
The Future Leaders Programme, launched in 2021, is guided by the expertise of former Australian captain Belinda Clark and is specifically designed to address the underrepresentation of female leaders in cricket. Reflecting on the life-changing nature of the programme, Prescod described it as a deeply transformative experience.
“It offers a mentorship opportunity for future leaders. It was a room filled with women—leaders from all corners of the globe—and that in itself was an experience, hearing the challenges they face, and also relating to those challenges both in the Caribbean and in Barbados specifically,” she explained.
She continued, “We had a lot of sessions, in-classroom sessions, where we learned things about the different cricket associations that we would have come from. It was also insightful to meet with some of the brand partners like Coca-Cola. That was so inspiring, especially coming back home and thinking about the women’s game in Barbados and trying to achieve that level of sponsorship from a grassroots level.”
Motivated by her enriching experiences abroad and the ongoing guidance of Fara Gorsi, ICC Development Manager for the Americas, Prescod voiced her ambitions to improve the local cricket landscape.
“I’ve been engaging with individuals from the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) to explore how we can secure more representation for our girls and develop our cricket infrastructure,” she shared. “While the BCA is doing an admirable job expanding women’s cricket through their GEMs programme, there is still much work to be done if our girls are to attain the skill levels of players like Hayley Matthews or Deandra Dottin.”
Prescod added, “With the Olympics on the horizon in 2028, I think it is very important for the Barbados Cricket Association and the Government to start playing a major role in women’s cricket because in the next four years, we could see the possibility of being represented at the Games for cricket and potentially winning a medal.”
However, Prescod is acutely aware of the obstacles faced by women in the sport, particularly within the traditionally male-dominated realm of cricket. “There is still a stigma attached to cricket in the world. People still see cricket as a men’s game. When you look at how women are treated when it comes to facilities and the respect for women coaches and umpires, I still don’t think the respect is there yet, even though more parents are allowing their daughters to play,” she remarked.
For Prescod, representation and respect are crucial. “The associations—whether it be the Barbados Cricket Association, West Indies, or associations across the world—they really need to find better ways to make men, especially within the sport, respect women not only as players but also as coaches. I think there’s a big problem with that,” she asserted.
As Prescod continues her journey through the Future Leaders Programme, she remains steadfast in her determination to make a lasting impact.
“My New Year’s resolution is to reach out to clubs to see how best I can support or help expand women’s cricket. If we could have more clubs with a girls’ programme, then we could field a team for these clubs, and that would achieve the main goal of having a competition,” she concluded.
The other Barbadian selected for the programme was Tara Wilkinson-McClean, who is being mentored by Lydia Buthello, Head of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. (JC)
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