A progress report from the ICC High performance manager Bob Woolmer on the months trials and tribulations
Waking up in Windhoek is sheer bliss, the sky is always a perfect blue, the temperature, fresh without being cold and you cannot help but feel good for the day. The Windhoek Country club and hotel resort was home for the teams and officials for the six Nations challenge, the start on April the 7th also signalled the start of the second of four phases in the high performance programme.
Phase 1 incorporated my initial meetings with the four countries to set up structures and put in place fitness programmes, facilities and equipment. Phase two following this tournament will be to re-evaluate the programme and to set new targets until the October period. Phase three will lead into the world cup specifically with a pre-world cup camp for the four teams where the final preparations will be as meticulous as possible, in preparation for the final phase of the World cup.
It would be the height of optimism to say that any of the four emerging teams will win the World cup or indeed make the super sixes, although interestingly enough the Kenyans have set themselves the goal of making the super sixes. Indeed along with the Sri Lankan `A' team, the Kenyans looked the best side at the tournament and it is significant that the professional status of their players means that they looked sharper and looked the best team.
As significantly was the defeat of the Kenyans by the host country Namibia. On the Friday in a tense finish, it showed what the minnows might be able to achieve. The finish was pure cricketing theatre. Nine down 4 to win, two balls left and a practising Doctor better known for his bowling than batting was at the crease, not that anyone could see him in the ever increasing gloom of an African sunset. The odds were not on Namibia winning. However legends are made in these situations and the Doc was, with no International experience facing Collins Otieno a leg spinner with international experience. It is debatable of course that a leg spinner should have been bowling the last over. The Captain might argue that tail-enders are notoriously suspect against spin! Coaches might argue that they are easier to slog. Whatever, the time had come and Collins bowled a ball of excellent length (unless you were the Kenyan coach) and Doc, with glory written in his script launched the bat and deposited it out of the park for six. (Its red and its round and it out of here!)
If you were watching from the side you would not have seen the flight path as it was too dark, in fact it was only the vision of Doc, both arms raised aloft in triumph that gave his team-mates the clue they needed and wanted. As one they ran onto the field as though the tournament had been won! Namibian cricket will never be the same again. A large crowd by Namibian standards witnessed the scene, the kids especially will remember the result, and they too will want to be part of other scenes like this in the future a seed has been sown, so thanks to the Doc, Namibian cricket will grow even more.
The Tournament was always going to be used as a measure of the current standard of the four emerging nations and as a guide as to where they have to go from here. To this end it was a real eye-opener for the players in the teams. Not only on the field but off it too, many lessons were learnt on the field. These were reinforced off the field by a team of specialists including Dermot Reeve, whose thoughts and ideas on the one-day game are as innovative, as they are thought provoking. He lectured to all the Teams and coaches alike with great energy and knowledge.
Richie Ryall who kept wicket for Western Province for a long time helped the wicket keepers with special drills and sound methods to assist their development. A Sports science team including Nutritionists Shelley Meltzer and Cecilly Fuller, Motor Vision expert Sheryelle Calder, Sports Psychologist Clinton Gahweiler and Bio Kinetisit's, Grant Compton, Justin Durandt and Stephan Du Toit, all worked very hard with the four teams. It is important not only to pass on the knowledge but also for the players and coaches to hammer home the lessons learnt.
There is a saying much used, "You can lead a horse to water but he doesn't have to drink"! Hopefully in this case the advice and knowledge were sweet enough for the teams to take a large drink. They will definitely go away from the tournament now knowing exactly what is required from them. As most of these players are amateurs, they will have to make extra time in order to pursue the dream of performing at the World cup, the ultimate test of a cricketer's one-day career. The dream is slowly becoming a reality, it was obvious as well just how great the desire is and it was a pleasure to dispense the knowledge to such willing participants.
Coaches, in some places assistant coaches, physio's, trainers are now in place to drive home this information and perhaps we will see the odd upset at the world cup. None of the above would have been possible had it not been for the tremendous work done by the ICC representative and event co-ordinator Abigail Darke, who marshalled the forces provided by the Namibian cricket Board and provided a superb tournament.
Canada and Holland now move into their domestic seasons and have an opportunity to put into practice all that they have learnt, while Namibia go into a short rest before continuing their prescribed fitness programmes and the Kenyans continue with their non-stop seasons.
I would like to wish Jeff Thomas Canada's new coach well in a tough assignment, no easy task in a country that takes 8 hours to fly across (How does one manage squad sessions there?).
Andrew Kirsten has been appointed to assist Sandeep Patel in Kenya, Eric Simons will help Namibia, and I wish them all the best in this assignment and thank them for the work they have already achieved, they know that they have the full support of the High performance programme.
This opportunity also gives me the chance to thank all those specialists who assisted the teams during the Six Nations challenge. There is a still a long way to go before the Doc smashes another ball into the crowd for a famous victory in next years world cup, but we are definitely moving in the right direction.
© ICC 2002
