Six new cricket coaches qualify as new season begins in Cyprus

The opening weekend of the formal cricket season saw 6 new coaches join together to undertake the ICC Level 1 Cricket Coaching Certificate at the TLC Private School in Peyia.

A lengthy day saw the new coaches run through a series of videos and classroom activities before venturing outside to practice their coaching skills with each other.

Each coach delivered a practical coaching session on a cricket skill followed by a practical assessment coupled with some administration work around ‘safeguarding in cricket’.

Perhaps most notable was the diversity of the group which threw up school teachers, cricketers as well as experienced practitioners in cricket all on the same course.

Lead Tutor Richard Cox commented: “It was fantastic to see the coaches working together to support each other using their strengths in the areas of how to coach (cricket skills) and what to coach (exhibiting various teaching skills in organising and analysis). We really felt they gelled and will be trailblazers for Cyprus cricket.”

Cyprus Cricket Association (CCA) Chair Muhammad Hussain said: “I have wanted to see this course take place on the island for many years and today it came true. We now have 6 wonderful people let alone coaches to go out there and promote the game. Their enthusiasm was insatiable throughout the day for more information and I can’t wait to see what they bring in the coming months.”

CCA intend to run further courses and anyone interested to get involved should contact them at [email protected]

The participants are pictured above with grateful thanks to TLC Private School.

Meanwhile, after the hectic excitement of the European Cricket Series 10-over competition, the men’s regular domestic cricket season will start this weekend with two competitions – a 40-overs league competed by 7 teams on Saturdays, and a T20 cup on Sundays which has attracted a record 22 entries.

Matches will be played at Ypsonas cricket ground and at Happy Valley. Moufflons are the defending 40-over champions, while the two T20 events last year were won by Punjab Lions and Sri Lanka Lions, who may be considered the two favourites this time. But they will not have things all their own way as there are several other strong teams ready to challenge them over the coming months.