By Paras Ramoutar

Port-of-Spain, Jun 11 (IANS): Newly-elected Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is of Indian-origin, has urged two warring West Indies cricket groups to unite in the interest of the game.

She gave this advice to the West Indies Players' Association and the West Indies Cricket Board of Control while speaking at the First Citizens West Indies Players' Association awards function held here.

"The game of cricket means so much to us. It defines us, it unites us and it gives us a sense of belonging," said Persad-Bissessar.

She announced that the country's cricket captain Darren Ganga will serve as executive director in the developmental unit in the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Sportt).

Ganga has led Trinidad and Tobago in five regional limited overs tournaments, three four-day tournaments, and one Twenty20 tournament.

Guyanese batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan got the Player of the Year Award.

Persad-Bissessar, who is this oil-rich country's first female prime minister, advocated that Caribbean governments should play a proactive role in West Indies cricket to stop its steady decline.

She said: "Blame is the comfort of the weak, change is the name of a warrior. So we must be willing to make that change that would make a difference and not keep blaming each other."

"Caribbean governments must play the part as the proverbial twelfth man in the field of cricket. We have a responsibility to be always ready to get involved in cricket education."

She went on to say that the Caribbean governments "must be part of the process of rebuilding the sport and there can be no more important initiative than cricket education."

"Our failure to do this would mean that we lose the game and by extension the one platform that holds us together and gives us that shared destiny which we proudly display to the world."