By Ian Beeck | posted on November 23, 2019
FORMER Albany cricketer Chris Brabazon will be living the dream when he jets out in 11 days to Antigua to commence his new job with Cricket West Indies (CWI).
He is currently the Coach Development Manager for the Western Australian Cricket Association but takes on the role as National Coach Education Manager with CWI, formerly the West Indies Cricket Board.
Brabazon commenced his A-grade career with local team Collingwood Park when he was 15 and played for six seasons, winning a premiership.
A talented sportsman, he played colts football for Royals before crossing to play league for North Albany.
His younger brother Ryan played for the Sydney Swans in the AFL.
Brabazon said he first went over to the West Indies in 2016 with Cricket Australia to coordinate coaching courses.
Eighteen months later, CWI made contact through former 54-test cricket star Jimmy Adams who raised the role with Brabazon.
But the job was put on ice until Ricky Skerrit took over the CWI presidency earlier this year and one of his main priorities was developing West Indian coaches.
Brabazon was contacted again, and this time he signed on for a three-year deal.
“My priority is to develop a national framework looking after the coaches development, and focusing on level two to level three accreditations,” he said.
“The West Indies comprises 15 countries and territories and they are all fiercely independent so it can be a tricky situation.
“So I’ll find out what their philosophy is and then try and implement it.
“Previously it’s been a scattergun approach as the islands drive themselves but now they want their own national system.
“It’s taken them a while to get to this point but to be fair, Australian cricket weren’t that far advanced to them.
“For example, seven years ago my job didn’t exist.”
