Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board Michael Muirhead hailed the WICB Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Programme as critical to the overall development of West Indies Cricket.

"Kiddy Cricket Festivals act as a celebratory event for our children to show-off their talent, building confidence, teamwork and discipline, it also acts as a spring board to the next level of their development at the Grassroots Cricket level," Muirhead said while speaking at the launch of the Kiddy Cricket Festival in Antigua last week.

In his address, Scotiabank Antigua Country Manager Mr. Gordon Julien said that the bank was proud to be associated with West Indies cricket for a longstanding period.

"Scotiabank has been the official sponsor and partner of the WICB Kiddy Cricket Programme since its inception 14 years ago," Julien said.

Regionally the Kiddy Cricket Programme has grown over these 14 years, spanning 14 territories in the region with over 720 primary schools and benefits in excess of 150,000 children in the Caribbean each year .The West Indies Cricket Board and Scotiabank will be hosting other Kiddy Cricket Festivals in 14 territories across the Caribbean between January – June 2013, followed by a Kiddy Cricket Summer Camp for identified high performers, both boys and girls, in order to prepare them for the next level of their cricket development which will be hosted between June – August 2013.