Bahrain looks forward to its cricket future
Two weeks after winning the ACC U19 Challenge and three months after reaching the final of Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 6, Bahrain has lost its regular cricket training facility, the Bahrain Cricket Association (BCA) Academy at Al Najma, its position in the top 10 of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Elite, failed to advance out of Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 and finished sixth out of ten at the ACC U16 Elite.
ACC Development Officer for Nepal, Rumesh Ratnayake, said: "The national team took part in the WCL which was held in Nepal without proper training as there was no facility, which resulted in poor results at the WCL tournament. The U16s had also come to Nepal without proper training."
The largely ACC-funded BCA Academy at the Al Najma Club in Manama, which had fencing, lights, synthetic wickets, nets, which according to Rumesh was a very effective area for training as it had an adjoining grassed football ground, was closed off to the BCA following a 312% increase in rent by the club. The matter has been resolved to the extent that a fresh one-year lease has been negotiated by the club and the BCA, which while not totally satisfactory to the ACC, at least gives Bahrain's cricketers time and room to develop.
Rumesh said: "Unless fresh thinking is applied, cricket in Bahrain is in a very difficult state. It is a shame because under its coach Mohsin Kamal, it was doing well. Another problem it has is that the senior side is made up of players who are 28-34 years old, and there is an urgent necessity to develop a healthy and skilful younger generation."
To that end, on his last visit to the Kingdom, Rumesh unrolled his ?Think Out of the Box' presentation, and headed for schools. He visited four, and to his surprise, they were all very keen to start and participate in tournaments organized by BCA. He was invited to the assemblies of these schools and had a chance of encouraging the probables while telling the Principals that teachers could be used and trained as coaches for the future by BCA/ACC.
His presentations at assemblies, assisted by Bahrain Level II coach Prachur Shukla, focussed on:
*How cricket can help team spirit which helps in normal day-to-day life.
*Cricket being a great leveler and taking humility as an example from great players, namely Sachin Tendulkar.
*To do small and simple things right which are appropriate in day-to-day life.
Rumesh also held a workshop for nine coaches (seven of them accredited Level IIs). He said: "In practical sessions, I demonstrated and made them feel how important it is to have power and control, varying options and how to be more effective tactically. This was shown to them with the view that they can teach the kids, thus seeing results in a faster and more effective manner."
With respect to women's cricket, Bahrain is not yet fielding a team in ACC competitions, though Rumesh was optimistic of the country having a senior women's side in 2011.
"Bahrain has had a history of going one step forward two steps back, for a number of easily solvable reasons, now if it can just get things stabilized the cricketers and coaches who want to do well can really be a force in the region," added Rumesh.