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The $11million granted to cricket over the past few years has been money well spent.

But we need even more investment if the standard of the game in this country is to improve.

A lot has been accomplished and the national team's failure to qualify for the World Cup should not disguise this.

Cricket was dying when we qualified for the World Cup in 2005. It was our last chance to make it with an experienced, senior team.

In terms of youth programmes and facilities we were 10 years behind.

Investment was necessary to revive the game and it must continue.

Qualifying for the World Cup meant more administration, more qualified coaches, more training for them and more overseas travel because we didn't have a home ground.

Since the money was granted, the national team has won the Americas Championship for the first time, the Under-19s have qualified for the World Cup and our first women's team has been established.

We needed funds for the senior team to prepare for the World Cup and travel to new tournaments. Most significantly, new youth leagues have been established - from under-nines to under-17s.

If that money has got 100 kids off the streets and into positive youth programmes, it has been well spent.

We will not see the benefit of that investment at senior level or on the domestic scene for four or five years.

We need to expand those youth programmes even further and invest more in our kids.

When I was growing up I used to play three or four games a week with school and with my club from May to September.

More youth cricket

The current youth leagues are finished by June. That doesn't make sense to me.

We have to get youngsters playing more cricket in school and in clubs and there is no reason why the youth season should not run as long as the senior one.

The standard of cricket in the domestic senior leagues is very low.

I was pleased to see Clay Smith discussing the need for overseas professionals to play and coach in the Premier Division. It is something I suggested in this column two years.

Maybe our failure to qualify for the World Cup will ensure something is done.

We also need to get more players overseas. It doesn't have to be country cricket in England - it could be local leagues in Australia, England or South Africa.

There are lots of solutions but first we have to invest to get something back.

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