Zimbabwe board takes cricket to the schools

Zimbabwe Cricket has set up training centres countrywide in order to develop the sport, expanding on initiatives started a decade ago.

In 1999, the board established the CFX Cricket Academy with the objective being to develop a stream of first-class players to underpin the playing and coaching strengths of the provincial sides. This produced a number of internationals, such as Andy Blignaut, Douglas Hondo, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Ray Price and Mark Vermeulen.

In 2002, the board expanded that with the launch of Cricket Development Centres (CDCs) with the aim of improving the playing technique of promising younger cricketers and exposing them the critical eye of a qualified coach from an earlier age.

"How it generally works is that identified talent from the various surrounding schools register to attend age-group sessions run by Zimbabwe's top coaches," Shingai Ruhwaya, Zimbabwe's Cricket's media manager, told Cricinfo. "Of late, we've been encouraging former players with at least a Level 2 coaching certificate to volunteer to spend an hour or two a week with these kids. These CDCs have over 4000 registered children using them between the ages of 9 and 18.

"Most recently, ZC decided to concentrate its technical development efforts in a select number of centres rather than spread its resources thinly. Each of these centres has been earmarked to benefit from re-investments in kit and equipment. We should have six to eight fully functional such centres by the end of August this year."