BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – Officials in St. Kitts & Nevis have hailed the International Cricket Council’s decision to stage a High Performance camp in the island.
Two players each from Argentina, Suriname, Canada, the United States, The Bahamas, and Bermuda are taking part in the camp, which started on Wednesday at Warner Park. Two players from the two-island federation of St. Kitts & Nevis will join the eight-day camp. They are uncapped pair of Akheam Fox and Adelvin Phillip.
The camp, organised by the ICC Americas Regional Office, is designed to hone the skills of players and expose them to the rigours of international cricket, its related standards, and expectations.
“When the ICC Americas decided that we were going to house a camp, St. Kitts was the first name that came up and the last one,” said Wendell Coppin, one of the ICC Americas technical officers.
“We are extremely excited about the venue. We are excited about St. Kitts & Nevis, and the hospitality we have received.”
Coppin said: “We do hope that in years to come we can look back and say it was the beginning of what will become for us at the ICC, and for St. Kitts an annual event.
“I can say at this stage, that when the ICC Americas is looking for a home for its camp in the future that St. Kitts & Nevis will be on the shortlist of countries.”
ICC Americas High Performance Officer Andy Pick revealed that he was in St. Kitts with a junior squad from Canada one year ago, and was impressed with Warner Park.
“It’s a Test Match facility,” he said. “We don’t have facilities in any of the countries in the ICC Americas Region remotely close to the quality of the facility here,” he stressed.
Pick said that the layout of the ground, the quality of the pitch, the separate batting and fielding practice areas and other amenities such as locker rooms, simplified his decisions while designing the course for the 14 participants and what would be done at various stages throughout the day.
