Sri Lanka first country to receive ICC's revised coaching syllabus

by S.M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sprots Corr.

CRICKET: Sri Lanka became the first country in the world to receive International Cricket Council's endorsement for the revised coaching syllabus when the Coaching Department of Sri Lanka Cricket submitted this booklet, said the Manager, Coaching of Sri Lanka Cricket Malcolm Perera.

He made this observation when he addressed Coach Education Program to upgrade the information and also introduce them to the latest techniques held at the Blaze Hall of Kingswood College, Kandy. Over 75 cricket coaches from the districts of Kandy, Kegalle and Nuwara Eliya attended this highly successful program.

Malcolm Perera said that the new syllabus of the Level I coaching programme has been revised and has many changes and additions and the Coach Education Unit of the SLC has spent over 12 months on it. Many countries were in the race to receive recognition and Sri Lanka became the first country to be awarded the ICC Endorsement which is creditable indeed for a small country like us, but cricketwise we are rich. With the endorsement of the ICC logo on the Sri Lankan Level I Accreditation certificate, this would receive international recognition for cricket coaches who possess one.

Malcolm Perera said that the cricket coaches have a major role to play in moulding youngsters who are entrusted to them by their schools or parents. They should be dedicated to their tasks and assess and identify the individual talents of a cricketer. He could be a bowler but still he could be a better batsman and his strength lies there.

One would recall that the world's best off-spinner was one time a fast bowler and a hard hitting middle order batsman at St. Anthony's College at junior level. But their coach Sunil Fernando identified that he was a top spin bowler and this gave birth to the Worlds' best off-spinner and he holds the record for the highest number of wickets in the history of Test cricket and Limited-over Internationals. He has become a legendary figure in cricket and is spoken of wherever cricket is played. There have been occasions when abroad when you state you are a Sri Lankan they ask whether you come from Muralitharan's country.

All this happened because that master cricket coach Sunil Fernando who is here, changed the destiny of Muthiah Muralitharan.

Sri Lanka Cricket under the guidance of its Chairman D.S. de Silva and Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga and others are looking into the possibility of paying the registered cricket coaches of Sri Lanka Cricket a monthly allowance which will be an incentive for them to produce better results.

One would recall that Sri Lanka Cricket under the guidance of its Chairman D.S. de Silva made a survey of school cricket in the country and advised President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the then Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge that what is lacking for the development of cricket in the country. President Mahinda Rajapaksa directed that cricket equipment in connection with this cricket development programme should be imported duty-free and over 400 schools were provided with cricket equipment worth over Rs. 6 lakhs each. Cricket venues were developed, infrastructure developed or upgraded and practice wickets were provided. The result was instantaneous - Schools which were on the verge of giving up the game continued playing the game. New schools too started playing cricket.

It is worth recalling that five bowlers captured over 100 wickets during the last school cricket season after the SLC launched the spin talent search programme under the guidance of national spin coach Piyal Wijetunga.

This programme was also addressed by the Principal of Kingswood College Ranjith Chandrasekera, Piyal Wijetunga, Anusha Samaranayake, Manoj Abeywickrema, Sunil Fernando.