Vice President of the West Indies Cricket Board WICB Dominican Emmanuel Nathan has congratulated the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on the solid performances of the Guyana Teams at all levels over the last few years and pointed out that some main things are usually responsible consistent success in any Cricket Board.
Number one, he said, is a settled and harmonious cricket environment in teams and administration, sound and effective preparation and a solid commitment to cricket and organization by the players, administration, public and private sectors.
Added to that he feels that an understanding and management of the values of the different generations involved in cricket together with the availability of effective Team Management, Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Strength and Conditioning Coaches, Physiotherapists, Performance Analysts and Enhancers at all levels of the State are all required for success.
He added that the availability and effective management of cricket facilities and other resources for playing and training an intense focus on Performance and Results underpinned by courage and a strong bench of competent players at all levels are things that makes a cricket board successful.
“These success factors are not exhaustive but generally represent what has to be done or put in place for success to the elite level. Guyana Cricket has best managed the foregoing at the Regional Level. Congratulations for a job well done,” said the advisor to Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt.
It is unprecedented, in West Indies Cricket, for a territory to make such a dramatic impact, at all levels, in such a short time added Nathan.
He however feels that there is a feature which is absent in our current cricket environment when compared with the period when WI cricket was at its pinnacle. That is, the proliferation and intensity of young players playing informal matches on the savannahs and fields in the communities.
“Today, the fields and streets are empty, and emulating the legends is a thing of the past. The allusion of playing Test cricket matches among groups of youngsters in their communities, no longer exist as in the past, a feature that inculcated courage and determination.
“Schools cricketers are no longer playing against seasoned National players and the context for emulating elite is not well presented in the development pathways by the schools coaches,” Nanthan opined.
The WICB Executive says that a gap exists at the level of the State (Government) in promoting skills, pride and determination in all the youth for subsequent elite achievements that the country can be proud of.
He explained that the response by the WICB is the Professionalism of Regional Cricket supported by Coaching Education to develop Effective and Qualified Coaches to drive player development.
“We are now in the midterm of the second year of the WICB
Professional Cricket League and each Territorial Member of the WICB has established a Franchise Company, which has entered into a minimum of fifteen (15) players who have been training for a twelve (12) month period as professionals,” Nathan informed.
He said the opportunity is presented where on a full time basis the players can train without distractions to develop elite skills and attitudes that will bring about the required performance and results.
“A point that is worth noting is that both Guyana and Barbados started their training on time from August 1st 2015 and the results reflect their top positions on the points Table,” Nathan pointed out.
Guyana are unbeaten in their last 12 PCL games and the defending Champions have won all five of their games in the second edition of the tournament at the half-way stage with Vishaul Singh being second among the runs to Royston Chase of Barbados while 20-year-old left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie leads the wicket takers.
(Taken from Kaieteur News)