On The Cricket Pitch

Can cricket become the next Olympic Sport?

Philip Hackett

Friday, September 3, 2004

Sports enthusiasts have had a surfeit of sporting activity on their entertainment diet over the past two weeks. Now the Olympic Games in Athens have ended and normal activity has returned to our television sets.

Unfortunately cricket is not an Olympic sport. Given the lengthy form of the original game it would be difficult to imagine it fitting into the tight scheduling of the Olympics but with the dynamic changes experienced as the game has evolved a concept such as the 20 overs version could prove an attractive addition to the greatest sporting show on earth.

Despite the fact that cricket was not featured during the past two weeks there was much for cricketers to learn, especially those in developing cricketing countries like the Cayman Islands. The Olympic coverage exposed us to a wide range of sports but there was one common factor shared by all the participants at the games and that is the intense preparation required to compete meaningfully at that level.

Too often young sportsmen and women seem unaware of the vast amount of work required to succeed in any sport. This is an attitude promoted by some adults who fail to recognise the full benefits of participation in sports and the potential it has for the all-round development of young people. When coaches ask for postponements in the first week of competition because the team is not quite ready it is a sign that the coach does not fully appreciate the process involved in sports participation at junior level. All of the tournaments played in our primary schools fall in the same spot on the school calendar each year. It is already known that cricket will begin very early in the third term, shortly after the Easter break, yet one can be fairly certain some coaches will be desperately putting players together moments before the first match.

I am well aware of the numerous activities on the school calendar and the challenges this presents but to enter students in tournaments without adequate preparation sends the wrong message and promotes attitudes to sport that will be more harmful in the long run.

The Cayman Islands Cricket Association has set a standard which is very necessary for the sport to thrive amidst competition from a myriad of social activities. For the past two years they have been embarking on a near year round coaching programme in the primary schools. Last year it was extended to include the under 13 and under 15 players. The improved standard in the primary school tournament was obvious. With the football season about to start soon to be closely followed by track and field the challenge remains for the CICA to keep the sport in the limelight but they have received excellent support from a pool of coaches who have sacrificed several hours of personal time to receive the type of training necessary to deliver high level coaching programmes to our youngsters. Many of them work beyond the stipulated times in an effort to satisfy the enthusiasm of these talented young cricketers.

While it may be costly for the CICA to finance these programmes it is difficult to imagine cricket on these islands developing to the stage previously envisaged if this is not done. Cable & Wireless has been a major partner in the effort to push these youngsters. With the dynamism of those involved at all levels it is not difficult to imagine the Cayman Islands participating in an under 15 or under 19 World Cup.

With just two major playing fields available it is also difficult to keep the senior players as busy as they should be. The performance at the recent ICC Associates tournament in Bermuda shows that we are not that far behind the leading Associate teams despite only being an Associate member within the last two years. Among the requirements for success at that level is the need to play more organised cricket.

The loss of the Nations Cup has removed the opportunity for intense, meaningful competition with pride at stake. We witnessed what such intensity can produce during the two weeks of Olympic coverage. As we saw then some athletes tend to display inappropriate behaviour but such reaction from a minority of participants should not be allowed to overshadow the greater benefits whether it is Olympic Games or domestic competition. It is not difficult to put systems in place to deal with athletes who disrespect fellow competitors. That is one of the reasons for a code of conduct.

With the Nations Cup now history the CICA must draw on the resourcefulness of its members to give our local players at junior and senior levels the type of meaningful preparation for their international engagements. The domestic club season provides that in the first half of the year. Maybe a community based tournament could provide the answer after that.

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