Beyond the Test World
An amateur solution in a professional world
Martin Williamson has written an article which highlights the pressures players for Associate countries face as they compete with the budgets of the Full Members.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Martin Williamson has written an article which highlights the pressures players for Associate countries face as they compete with the budgets of the Full Members.
In expanding the game, the ICC has, rightly, offered more matches to the Associates. On top of any ODIs they can persuade Full Member countries to give them, as well as tournaments they arrange among themselves, they participate in the Intercontinental Cup, the World Cricket League and the four-yearly ICC Trophy. But that expansion has not taken into account that the players remain amateur.
The flaw in the ICC's plan is that the increased demands have not been backed by additional funding. In the year ending April 30, 2007, Scotland were scheduled to play 46 days of cricket (including warm-ups for tournaments) as a national side; the numbers for the other Associates are similar - Bermuda 45, Canada 43, Ireland 42, Kenya 37, Netherlands 24. That does include time spent preparing, travelling and acclimatising.
The direct funding they receive for that from the ICC amounts to US$215,000, of which $125,000 is not actually handed over to the boards but is retained by the ICC and used to offset other costs, such as paying for coaches and hosting training camps. Compare that with the lowest-ranked Full Member, Zimbabwe, who will receive around US$10 million with no requirement to account for how it is spent. In the same period, they had 37 days cricket scheduled. That really puts into perspective Ireland's achievement in Jamaica.
Full postSpreading the word in Botswana
Good news from Africa where it is reported that the Botswana Cricket Association is intending to introduce the sport to government primary schools countrywide.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Good news from Africa where it is reported that the Botswana Cricket Association is intending to introduce the sport to government primary schools countrywide.
The problems facing the Association were highlighted in the local newspaper.
“Students attending English Medium Schools have played cricket for a long time, and it was only last year when the sport was introduced in public schools. However, the programme then never kicked off as the development coach disappeared, and further, there was lack of commitment from teachers and students in selected teams.”
Full postvan Bunge quits ... for the time being
Daan van Bunge , the Netherlands spinner who achieved unwelcome fame during the World Cup when he was hit for six sixes in an over by Hershcelle Gibbs, has announced that he will be unavailable for international matches for the foreseeable future
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Daan van Bunge, the Netherlands spinner who achieved unwelcome fame during the World Cup when he was hit for six sixes in an over by Hershcelle Gibbs, has announced that he will be unavailable for international matches for the foreseeable future. He will continue to play for his club.
van Bunge, 24, said that he was unable to balance the demands of pursuing a career in sports management with the demands of representing his country. “The time has come when I have to choose,” van Bunge told cricketeurope.com. “I've considered alternatives, such as only being available for home matches, but I have to give priority to my studies, and it wouldn't be fair to players who are fully committed to training and playing if I were to take a place in the side.”
Full postCodrington and Cummins call time
The Canadian Cricket Association has announced that both George Codrington and Anderson Cummins have announced their retirement from international cricket following the World Cup.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The Canadian Cricket Association has announced that both George Codrington and Anderson Cummins have announced their retirement from international cricket following the World Cup.
Full postUganda picks up two ICC Awards
Recognition for Ugandan cricket has come in the form of two ICC Awards – which have netted the country $3000 worth of equipment vouchers
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Recognition for Ugandan cricket has come in the form of two ICC Awards – which have netted the country $3000 worth of equipment vouchers. A female international player, Rebecca Alwayo Akwenyu, picked up the Volunteer of the Year and the country took the Photo of the Year prize.
Akwenyu was rewarded for her outstanding contribution and services to the disabled cricketers in Uganda. She also won the Africa regional Volunteer of the Year award. Her award was worth $1000.
A further $2000 came when the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) took the photography prize for a photo of a disabled man batting while supporting himself on one leg.
"Winning two awards on the globe is a wonderful feeling," UCA’s administrative officer Martin Muyomba told the Daily Monitor. “It shows that UCA's development programs are still very strong at the grassroots.”
Full postUganda announce 14-man WCL squad
Uganda have dropped Benjamin Musoke and Junior Kwebiiha, their two allrounders, ahead of Division Three of the World Cricket League next month
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Ronnie Kintu
Uganda have dropped Benjamin Musoke and Junior Kwebiiha, their two allrounders, ahead of Division Three of the World Cricket League next month. Uganda named their final 14-man squad yesterday.
Uganda will be among the eight nations to take part in the tournament which gets underway on May 27 in Australia. They are joined by Tanzania, USA, PNG, Oman Republic, Malaysia, the Cayman Islands and Fiji in the seven-day event.
After a poor show at the 2007 World Cup qualifiers in Ireland two years ago, in which they finished bottom of the 12-nation championship, Uganda were relegated to the third division along with the fractious USA and PNG.
Full postMCC tour Papua New Guinea, Chile and Brazil
The strong MCC A side, which visited Papua New Guinea and New Zealand during the first half of March, returned home undefeated
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The strong MCC A side, which visited Papua New Guinea and New Zealand during the first half of March, returned home undefeated. The first four matches were close-fought contests. However, the final two matches of the tour, against an Otago Country XI and Auckland Emerging Players XI, were won by seven wickets and 57 runs respectively. The touring team consisted of six first-class cricketers, including England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.
Later in March an MCC B tour to Brazil and Chile took place. The team played six matches, two against Brazil, followed by four against Chile.
Full postPace foundation to assist WCL bowlers
Seven bowlers each from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal and the UAE will be sent to the MRF Pace Foundation , run by Dennis Lillee, ahead of the 2007 and 2008 World Cricket League
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Seven bowlers each from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal and the UAE will be sent to the MRF Pace Foundation, run by Dennis Lillee, ahead of the 2007 and 2008 World Cricket League.
"It is the ACC's intention that these teams do well in the World Cricket League and the MRF camp in Chennai is to prepare the five qualifiers for World Cup qualification. An invitation was extended to the Malaysian Under-19 squad to train at MRF as they have pre-qualified for the 2008 U-19 World Cup next February and can benefit from the opportunity to train from this year," says ACC Development Manager Sultan Rana.
Willow pattern
This week saw the publication of the 2007 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
This week saw the publication of the 2007 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Ranajit Dam takes a look at cricket in China
The official term to describe China’s mixed economy is “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”. As the country embarks on its journey towards world domination in the cricket field, it uses an approach never before seen in the history of the sport: “Chinese characteristics” would not be a terribly inaccurate way to describe it either.
It isn’t just the way cricket is viewed as a “project” to be completed (“Cricket is one of the three big sport projects in Britain and Australia,” an official release declares), but also the fact that the sport’s administrators believe that mass production of home-grown talent is the ideal way forward.
The Chinese Cricket Association (CCA) has trained around 75 PE teachers from schools and colleges in week-long training camps, with the idea that the newly certified coaches would teach the game to students at their respective institutions. A national Under-15 tournament was also hastily organised in the blazing July heat in Beijing, but it was a bit too hasty: the China Daily interviewed participants who were unaware of the existence of the game even a week earlier.
Full post