There are calls for West Indies cricket administrators to build on the regional team’s climb up the world Test rankings by doubling down on development and grass roots programmes.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) released rankings last week that showed the Caribbean side had moved two places up to sixth — its best position in eight years.

“It shows that we are making steps in the right direction. Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the local boards must continue to put developmental programmes in place, so that younger players will be better equipped to deal with the pressure of international cricket,” said Junior Bennett, the head of Jamaica cricket’s selection panel.

“Those development programmes must include more ‘A’ Team tournaments and Under-23 programmes in each territory,” he told the Jamaica Observer, reiterating that regional territorial boards must also play their part in readying players for the international level.

Former Jamaica batsman Mark Neita said the regional first-class tournament, upgraded since the 2014-15 season, has been a contributing factor to recent improved performances on the international stage.

“I think the Caribbean’s Professional Cricket League is starting to pay off. There is more first-class cricket being played regionally, more players are being paid to play cricket, and therefore there are more professionals playing cricket,” he said.

“There is a larger pool of cricketers now available to select from and they have more experience. But for the future we still need to strengthen the regional tournaments and provide more support for the grass roots… and for cricket clubs in the region,” Neita explained.

India are the top team in the world, with New Zealand close in second. They are followed by England in third spot, fourth-placed Australia and fifth-placed Pakistan.

West Indies, formerly the world’s superpower in Test cricket, have endured a miserable spiral since the mid-1990s.

Only last summer they suffered a 1-2 loss away to England. That was followed by a 2-0 hammering at the hands of hosts New Zealand.

But there have been recent signs of progress.

And the regional side’s improvement in depth was showcased several months ago when a number of first-team Test cricketers withdrew from the tour of Bangladesh due to coronavirus-related concerns.

Under stand-in skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, West Indies pulled off an unlikely 2-0 win.

Batsmen Kyle Mayers and Nkrumah Bonner, who both made their Test debut in the series opener, were immense as West Indies swept the Test series.

The left-hander Mayers made an unbeaten, match-winning double-century in the first Test, while Bonner, though not scoring a hundred in the series, was just as pivotal for the visiting side.

Retained for Sri Lanka’s subsequent tour of the Caribbean as Brathwaite was appointed full-time Test captain, Bonner and Mayers played important roles in the nil-all result.

Bonner notched his maiden Test hundred in the first Test and led the team’s batting average with 72 from three innings.

Mayers hit two half-centuries to finish with an average of 50.25. He took four crucial wickets with his medium pace bowling.

Bennett, a former successful coach of Jamaica’s senior cricket team, said the Roger Harper-led CWI selection panel deserves credit.

“The selectors have made it quite clear that if you achieve the fitness standard required for international cricket and you are performing then there is a place for you in the team. By doing that it sends a clear message to the players, and by virtue of that, it develops a competitive nature within the [squad] set-up,” Bennett said.

Neita, a leading batsman for Jamaica between the late 1970s and early 1990s, said West Indies Coach Phil Simmons has guided the players in exemplary fashion.

“He (Simmons) understands that there are many other factors that contribute to performance, like your lifestyle, background and support. He has brought to the position the importance of man management rather than just a collective approach to coaching and leadership.

“We know that our players should be more professional, but the reality is that most are not and lack the mentorship that is important in many instances to succeed. This is why the coach’s approach is necessary and refreshing,” he told the Observer.

West Indies have a packed home schedule this year. South Africa are to visit the Caribbean within weeks, followed by Australia and Pakistan later in the summer. While the South Africa and Pakistan visits are to include Test matches, the Australia leg is to feature only white-ball cricket.