From Botswana to Couva

Andre Clifton is not your average West Indian. Sure he is the oldest participant in the current coaching clinics run by Digicel, but that is just the beginning of his story.

Andre, who is enjoying his last few weeks as a fourteen year old, is Trinidadian by birth but grew up in Botswana, South Africa. When Andre was six, his father Hollis, a moral education teacher of Pleasantville Senior Comprehensive School in San Fernando, secured a teaching contract in Botswana and the entire family moved over to the other side of the Atlantic.

Once there Andre quickly became conversant in the native language, Setswana, and while cricket is a relatively new sport in Botswana the youngster had a natural inclination to play the game.

In the African nation of about 1.9 million people cricket is played mostly among the small expatriate population and Andre, an allrounder, rose up the youth ranks with relative ease, winning some 20 medals and awards on the way including the Most Valuable Player award, best bowler and best batsman in the last school cricket season which was wrapped up last April.

Andre, having moved back to Trinidad with his family a few short weeks ago is finding adjusting to his homeland a bit difficult. He is somewhat estranged in what is essentially a new environment, but cricket is helping him reintegrate.

At home Andre, who turns 15 on November 20, is not lacking support. His mum Karen, also a teacher, and sisters Karelle (19) and Karysse (16) ensure that the baby of the family is taken care of and as comfortable as he can be but since he has not yet been placed in a school, life beyond the warmth of home presents challenges for any teenager starting afresh in a new society.

And so it is not by coincidence that the right-handed batsman and right-arm fast bowler turned up for one of the coaching clinics at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Centre in Couva on Saturday. Hollis, his dad, encouraged him to participate in order to meet local kids and forge relationships and generally 'get out of the house and do something he loves'.

Though growing up in a land where cricket is obscure rather than a tradition as it is in the West Indies, Andre's cricketing attachments are strong. He toured South Africa annually representing various Botswana junior teams but one tour to South Africa stands out above all.

His family formed a steel band and in the latter part of 2003 and early 2004, when West Indies toured South Africa, they followed the team from venue to venue, giving their full West Indian musical support along the way. The West Indies team management ensured they were attired in appropriate West Indian T-shirts and provided match tickets for the family.

Andre enjoyed the first hand experience of watching the West Indian brand of cricket though the tour would not recall the fondest memories for West Indian fans.

On that tour Kenny Benjamin, the former fast bowler, served as the bowling coach to the West Indies team. And who should Andre find as the lead coach at the clinic last week? Life has a way of bringing one back in a full circle. Though Andre only turned up on the last day of the clinic Benjamin, the lead coach, welcomed him with open arms.

Andre is steadily moving forward on his path to comfortably settle into his family's old stomping ground - San Fernando - and interacting with kids at the clinic is making that sometimes intimidating process all the smoother.