ICC lures young cricketers

Hold the bat like this. Oman’s Ajay Lalcheta taking kids through batting drills in yesterday’s ‘Cricket For Good’ outreach programme at Lugogo oval . PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO

KAMPALA.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday rendered its support to Uganda’s grassroots programmes with the hope of inspiring more youngsters to stick to the game.

Through ICC’s “Cricket for Good” outreach programme, two players from each of the six participating nations in the ICC World Cricket League Division Three joined over 60 young children and various volunteers for a coaching clinic. It is the first time such a programme is being held at a qualifying tournament.

“I hope one of these young faces out here will go on to wear the Ugandan jersey and I will be watching on 10, 15 years from now and saying; I was here,” Amarbir Hansra, who has played for Canada in two World Cups, said. It might take even longer for a Ugandan player to make it there, but the kids who attended the clinic that was graced by our own Jonathan Sebanja and Frank Nsubuga, cannot claim the lack of inspiration.

“We have learned a lot just about cricket. But that it is also important for us to balance the game and books (academics),” Aloysius Kirunda, one of the 60 learners, said.

It was not just the children picking lessons, USA’s Nicholas Standford, who says the Ugandan weather reminds him of his Caribbean roots, hopes to take the experience back home where the game is growing by leaps and bounds.

“It was fun and entertaining to have the kids around. To bring awareness to Uganda which seems like a cricketing nation with a big feature is really good,” Standford said.

“Hopefully we can have stuff like this too. Have over 60 kids running around learning the game. We are trying to get it in schools but it is not like what we have here (Lugogo) today,” USA’s right-handed top order batsman added.

Standford might not have to wait long as the impressed ICC tournament director Gurjit Singh promised; “the clinic will become a permanent fixture at ICC qualifying tournaments.”