By Neil Barry Jr.
If it is one thing the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) can boast of it is that the area it governs has produced the world’s best batsman.
Dependable Guyana and West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul hails from Unity on the East Coast of Demerara, but rather than bask in the glory of that fact, the ECCB, headed by Bissoondyal Singh, is anxious to have more world number one batsmen come out from the area.
It is a tall order no doubt but Singh is committed to improving the state of cricket on the East Coast and has a number of goals already earmarked for the development of the sport in the area.
First and foremost the ECCB said it plans to focus on the development of the youths as well as create room for more female participation.
The establishment of a national cricket college and the staging of the ECCB’s annual summer camp are also on the agenda this year.
Singh said the establishment of a national cricket college would see cricketers being enrolled full time to be schooled in all the finer points of the game.
Summer Camp
But, the highlight of the ECCB’s calendar, will undoubtedly be the annual summer youth academy which attracts 50-60 budding cricketers every year.
Established a decade ago under the presidency of S.K. Singh, the camp enables youths to interact with former stalwarts of the game who share their knowledge on the requirements of playing at the highest level.
The camp also aims to equip the participants with basic skills required to ‘kick start’ a career in cricket as well as expose the youths to etiquette training.
Singh said the academy will focus especially on teaching the participants how to deal with the press and the public.
It will also focus on discipline, a key trait required for success in any sport.
Club structure
According to Singh, currently the East Coast can boast 44 teams for second division competitions from a total of 26 registered clubs.
However, he laments the unavailability of grounds, the lack of funding and the unavailability of the necessary equipment to ensure that the grounds are operable.
Singh, though, lauds Ansa McAl for its support of the East Coast T20 team and said he was looking forward to other corporate entities stepping forward and offering more support.
He would also like to launch an Under-13 tournament to be played only in schools.
saying that playing Under-13 cricket in the schools can lead to stronger U-15 teams.
Singh said he is anticipating the support of schools in carrying out that particular aspect of the ECCB’s development plan, suggesting that cricket can be played at schools on Friday afternoons.
The ECCB, he said, is also seeking a sponsor to pay special attention to the development of female cricket teams in their effort to make the sport more attractive for women.
The ECCB hopes to have all 26 clubs operable shortly and to continue to produce national cricketers.
Singh said during his tenure the ECCB has produced at least 17 national players at the youth and senior levels.
Currently the ECCB, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Demerara Cricket Board, produces some of the more competitive teams for Demerara’s inter-association competitions and has often placed second only to Georgetown.
Singh said the continued support of businesses and the effectiveness of their developmental plans remain keys to improving cricket on Guyana’s East Coast.
