Berbice Cricket Board to launch twelve-point historic developmental programme

Aug 02, 2022 Sports

– Focus on development of new cricketing talents

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) would shortly be unveiling a comprehensive developmental programme as it continues to strive for the overall development of the game in the ancient county. The plan is the brainchild of BCB President Hilbert Foster and its implementation would be spearheaded by him and several of his executives.

Hilbert Foster

Foster stated that the plan is a follow up to numerous programmes over the last four years with the main objective of making sure that the rich legacy of Kanhai, Butcher, Solomon and Kallicharran is kept alive. The future of the game, he noted depends on the investment made today as unless it is done, no new talents would emerge.

The recent disappointing under17 performance at the Guyana Cricket Board tournament and having only two players in the national team was a wake-up call to the BCB to do more. The board hopes to implement the plan in several phrases over a period of eighteen months. The twelve points of the plan are:

Assistance to secondary schools in forms of gear, uniforms and equipment.
County wide coaching programme for secondary schools students.
Employment of cricket coaches on a temporary basis to work with youths
Massive coaching programme directed at over eighty primary schools to unearth new cricketing talents.
Setting up of a historic Kiddies Cricket Academy for kids between the ages of eight to twelve years. Under this plan, the BCB hopes to coach close to one hundred kids on a weekly basis for a period of one year.
Obtaining adequate coaching equipment and materials for the programme.
Publication of more copies of the BCB historic coaching manual and youth information booklets for free distribution to every youth player in the county.
Organising cricket tournaments for schools on a regular basis.
Organising tournaments for youths across the county at the under 13, under 15, under 17 and under 19 levels, using the round robin system.
Development of new female talents by sending in coaches to specially selected schools across the county.
Assisting less fortunate youths and clubs with cricket gears.
Organising trips out of the county, so that Berbice players can get accustomed to playing away from the comfort of home. The BCB hopes to even tour overseas as part of this plan.

The BCB President noted that while the plan is very ambitious, it can be achieved with hard work, team unity at the board level and a commitment to get things done. He disclosed that the board has already received some amount of cricket gear for distribution to secondary schools. These includes bats and batting gloves, while 300 cricket balls along with three hundred and forty white cricket uniforms are awaiting clearance from Customs.

The BCB has also receive a large amount of kiddies cricket gear from friends of Berbice cricket for the kiddies academy, while the board also expects assistance shortly in employing at least twelve to eighteen temporary cricket coaches.

Foster is urging more friends of Berbice cricket to come forward to support the ambitious project and expressed confidence that it would be successful. The secondary school coaching programme would be launched shortly with sponsorship from the National Milling Company{NAMILCO} while several other companies have pledged support for the Kiddies Academy.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News