(Jamaica Observer) LEGENDARY West Indian fast-bowler Ambassador Courtney Walsh on Wednesday outlined that the importance of the Cricket Clinics and Camps is to ensure that youngsters know the basics of the game which will lend itself to their development in the sport.
“One of the areas that we work on is to ensure that they have the basics, because once they have the basics to work from, then they can always improvise and improve on the game in technique… but without the basics, then nothing is going to happen for them,” he said.
Speaking at a media briefing to launch the Supreme Ventures/ Courtney Walsh Cricket Clinics at the Courtleigh Hotel, the former West Indies captain added that the programme has over the years produced some bright prospects such as John Campbell who is currently a member of the national senior cricket team and Ramaal Lewis, who has captained the regional team at the Under-15 and Under-19 levels.
“We have worked with a number of youngsters in partnership with the JCA to ensure that those names are kept on the radar and this clinic won’t be any different. We went out and did some scouting of our own and we have about 60 names so far that we can start working with immediately.
“I think it’s very important that we work with these Under-15 kids… all of them might not play Under-15 for Jamaica, but we want by the time they start playing Under-19, they will be fully ready for it.
We want to get a few representatives not just for the West Indies Under-19, but we are hoping that a few of these names will one day play for the senior team in the not too distant future,” Walsh said.
Walsh, also speaking on behalf of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) due to the absence of president William ‘Billy’ Heaven, thanked the sponsors for their commitment to the programme and mentioned that it has the full backing of the association.
Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) will be sponsoring the programme for the seventh consecutive year to the tune of $2 million, with an additional J$105,000 to be spent on cricket instruction books that will be given to each participant.
Sponsorship and public relations manager at SVL Carlene Edwards explained that despite some challenges faced by her organisation it is proud to maintain its loyalty to youth development.
“Notwithstanding the challenges, SVL is proud to be the premier sponsor of this clinic… our association with the programme gives us an opportunity to emphasise and showcase our loyalty to youth development through sports,” she said.
Edwards also implored participants to take the value of team work seriously, as well as to use the occasion to grasp as much knowledge that will be imparted to them by the esteemed panel of coaches.
The Supreme Ventures/Courtney Walsh Cricket Clinics and Camps, under the leadership of head coach Robert Samuels and Hugh Hinds, will commence on May 3-4 in Kingston, before moving to the Middlesex and Cornwall counties.
A minimum of 70 children in the under-15 age group are set to participate, which will make them eligible to represent Jamaica at that age group in 2014. The display of talent will also complement the local cricket body’s inter-parish competition.
