By Ian Pont
(Third in a series of opinion pieces. Click here for
first and
second. If you would like to contribute to this series, please email content@dreamcricket.com.)
Having played and coached in the
professional English cricket system, it’s always a challenge to work in
an associates’ system that is lacking in both funding and a
professional outlet. After 3 years as Assistant Head Coach with the
Dutch national team to successfully qualify for the 2007 ICC World Cup,
I have seen there are many factors that can genuinely help develop
cricket. And now, with 3 coaching visits under my belt to the US plus
numerous conversations with officials and those involved with playing
and coaching, I see far more clearly how the US can help itself.
1. Stop The Politics
In any walk of life people are out to make a name for
themselves, But when it comes to developing a sport, a far bigger
picture is important. More than making speeches, it’s useful for
officials and those involved with the game to actually DO things to
bring young players through. Initially, it may mean losing cricket
matches at various levels whilst people learn how to win. You will
often find managers and coaches of teams just wanting to get their own
personal record as good as possible and not think about how they can
bring talent through. The game is all about being fair, reasonable and
player focused. It’s never about administrators and coaches records
even though they like to think it is.
2. Develop Players Correctly
Get a development plan, stick to it and see it through. The
only way any country can make a sport attractive is to develop those
who already play first, so the national teams that represent that
country actually perform well. No media wants to cover a ‘minority’
sport where its teams are not playing at the highest levels. Or worse
still when they do, they are heavily beaten. It would be madness to
imagine that others are attracted to a sport where there’s no success,
outlet for success, nor the opportunity to take the game up further
after a young age other than for recreation. If cricket in the US is
merely for recreation, it’s competing with activities that take far
less time out of a day.
3. Coach Cricket Professionally By Developing 'Professional' Coaches
It’s worrying to note that so few high level coaches (or any
recognised level coaches) work in the US or are involved with cricket
in the US. It simply means that talent lies wasted, unfulfilled. The
best players require the best coaching, or at least specialised
coaching from experts who know how to maximise talent. And beginners
deserve the chance of access to the best advice. Parents are keen to
help but there’s a massive lack of coaching knowledge. A coach
education program with an awareness of what’s required to bring lads
through is vital. I have been lucky to coach at
first-class and international level with players such as Andy Flower,
Darren Gough, Dale Steyn and Shoaib Akthar, but most of my time is
concentrated on Under 19’s now because this is where the most good can
be done. For US to move forward, it must have coaches that can teach
the professional aspects of the game – and on a regular basis - with a
professional attitude to cricket.
4. Spend Money On Grass Pitches
As understandable as it is, playing on matting pitches does
not help the US with its cricket. Yes if it’s all that’s available to
get a game played then fine. Every region of the US should have at
least a couple of grass pitches and funding for this must be made a
priority. The US must seek to have two or three pitches that would be
suitable for ODI’s. This means the US could host matches from larger
countries. Most of the players coming through cricket in the US have
little concept of how to build an innings due to the nature of the
surfaces they play on and the type of cricket they play. It’s only when
players travel to Test playing countries they realise just how
different real turf pitches play. And however good a US player is, if
he has played only on matting then he has little chance of adapting.
5. Look At Your Neighbours
Canada has shown the way. I was fortunate to go to Toronto
with England Under 19’s as a player in 1979 to play in what was the
forerunner to the current Under 19’s world cup. We played on turf
pitches at Upper Canada College and it was a delight. Canadian cricket
has done the four ‘must do’s’ listed above and continued with that over
this entire time. And whilst Canadian cricket rises and
falls dependent on the cycle of players, they have embraced some of the
‘professionalism’ required in attitude to develop the sport on a
limited budget. Canada appointed the best available national coach for
their ICC 2007 World Cup (former England Under 19’s manager and friend
of mine Andy Pick, who is now ICC Associates Director for the Americas)
to work for 3 years at the highest level and scout for and develop
players within the system. Even on smaller budgets, there was real
progress made. There’s an Associates’ success story in place on the US
doorstep that would be worth mimicking, or at least reviewing and
adapting.
My fear for the US is that the clock has
been ticking a long while now. The rest of the world is expecting the
US to step up and make cricket a viable option as far smaller countries
like Afghanistan, Ireland, Kenya and Canada have done. The lure of the
lucre from T20 cricket is lip-smacking. So the prize is a huge one. But
it’s the longevity of cricket, which is important as much as instant
success on the field. It’s a careful balancing act. What little money
is available has to be put into cricket resources. And like any
investment, it’s a calculated investment and not a huge gamble that’s
required.
The urgent always overtakes the important. I just hope that the US can think about what’s important.
[The
author is Founding Partner, Mavericks Cricket Institute (MCI) in UK and
is the founder of ABSAT Coaching Methods. He has written two books on
coaching - The Fast Bowler's Bible and Coaching Youth Cricket. Ian has made three coaching visits to the US in the last two years coaching on behalf of DreamCricket Academy.]