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Development of players at youth level vital for Sri Lanka's success, says Bernardus

CRICKET: Former Sri Lanka under 19 coach Carlton Bernardus said that there is a huge need for quality development of players at youth level in order to Sri Lanka to gain sustained success in the international scene.

Bernardus who is the Game Development Programmes Manager of Bangladesh Cricket Board said that among the leading Test playing nations like Australia and South Africa the common quality is the strength of the youth cricket and the domestic, club and State structure.

Bernardus who had trained the Bangladesh under 19 team at the Centre of Excellence in Australia said that he is happy because there is a progress in school cricket in Sri Lanka with so many new schools taking up the game seriously. "In the good old days there were only a few schools mainly in Colombo but now it is good to see the net is spread".

Bernardus who was Director Planning of the Bangladesh Cricket Board in 2004/05 said that Sri Lanka Cricket has shown an emphasis on school cricket which is quite encouraging and they should now lay a proper foundation to achieve the best results.

"What they should do is lay a proper foundation. Proper directions and policies towards school cricket will enable better players to come out of the system".

Bernardus who had coached St. Joseph's College, Antonians SC and Colts CC said that initially the Board will need to appoint a capable resource person with coaching skills and administrative skills plus a wealth of experience. The appointed candidate should be given the total responsibility in keeping to the policy of the Board to provide a dynamic plan to re-structure all forms of youth cricket that will cater to the needs towards the development process.

"In the good old years Sri Lanka Cricket never pumped up money on School cricket. But I am happy to see their focus is purely on school cricket. But they should know how to manage it. You need the right people to manage it.

Managing cricket today has to be done with a lot of coaching experience plus administrative capacity. These are the two most important things is seen that the game is developed to a certain height", observed Bernardus.

"In school cricket there has to be three sectors. One is player development. For that you need good coaches. Second is education and the third is infrastructure. Proper facilities should be provided to the players in the outstation".

Bernardus who was the under 19 national coach of Bangladesh Cricket Board in 2000 to 2003 also stressed the importance of identifying the youth talent at the correct time and providing them with the international exposure.

"We should prioritized and see where there is school cricket best and if school cricket is good in that area you should enhance that. At the same time there should be a programme to see why a particular area is not producing good cricketers. It is because the lack of coaches or lack of infrastructure or lack of school participation".

Bernardus who is a Sri Lankan Level Four coach and an Australian Level Two accredited coach since 1992 said that the District tournaments is a vital link in identifying talented players from different age groups.

He noted that the district coaches should help the school coaches by visiting schools and working with them, sharing the experiences, sharing how to run a net, how to run a practice session, what is game sense in cricket and see that the spirit of the great game is cultivated.

"The district tournament is a significant project towards the development process of the game in school cricket. It is a graduation process. It is the pathway for a cricketer to come through the grid. Because once you are identified you come into the district teams.

Even if a player has not been selected to play in the school under 15 or under 17 teams he still could make it to the district under 19 team and from there to the provincial team".

Bernardus who was a ACC Development Officer, Sri Lanka Cricket in 1999 said that the coaching department also plays a major role towards the development process. He added that the need of the hour is to re-structure the game education department by up-skilling the coaches and reward and offer attractive terms to past cricketers who will take up to coaching as a profession.

"Australia is a good example. There has been a proper development process. There has been a coach education system because that is the one that goes through the players. They are not only able to coach their players within their territory but they are also exporting their coaches. In Asia along there are Australian coaches in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka".

Bernardus who is a former Tournament Committee Chairman SLC said that like there is a pathway for the cricketers there should also be a pathway for the coaches. "We do not have proper coaches who can work hand in gloves with the present cricketers. The information given at the bottom is what carried right through along".

Bernardus who was a Executive Committee Member of the SLC in 2000 said that there should also be a proper competition time line to suit the purpose and the need of international cricket at all age group levels.

"We need to have a constructive competition path plus a coaching path. Merely playing matches will not make you a good cricketer. There is no proper selection policy for youth cricket on the whole. We have to alien ourselves towards the requirements of ICC at youth level".

"Merely practising will not make you a good cricketer. Purposeful practice should be combined with constructive practice. What is important is that we structure our cricket to serve its purpose. Without structuring to serve its purpose no point in having a pathway. What will happen is it will continue to be the same".

"The clear example for this is Bangladesh. They gained test status in 2000. Their under 19s were beaten at the beginning. But today they have been a force to be reckoned with in the under 19 scenario. It is what they have structured from the bottom to serve the purpose that has enabled them to sustain themselves upto the under 19 age group", noted

Bernardus.

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