tawandamusarurwa
Sports Reporter
DESPITE cancellation of their ICC Under-19 cricket World Cup preparation tour to South Africa, which had been scheduled for this month, the Young Chevrons camp remains focused.
They are among the 11 teams that have already secured a place at next year’s World Cup to be hosted by Sri Lanka.
As part of preparations for the event, the team has lined up a programme that includes tours to different countries.
Earlier this year, they held a month-long training camp in India.
However, their scheduled tour of South Africa this month has since been called off.
Despite the setback, Young Chevrons coach Prosper Utseya is not losing sleep.
“It is unfortunate that the South Africa tour was cancelled, but it remains business as usual, as we have lined up matches against strong local Select sides.
“The Select sides will mainly consist of seasoned first-class players,” said Utseya.
Their training programme is focusing on three major aspects: physical fitness, tactical training and practice matches.
“As we are one of the teams that automatically qualified for the World Cup, it is crucial that our team is fully prepared come January, hence we have tailored our preparations on various aspects such as physical training, where we want to ensure the players are in peak physical condition for the demanding tournament ahead,” he said.
“This involves training regimes, fitness tests and injury-prevention strategies.”
As a former Zimbabwe senior national team captain, Utseya knows the significance of his Under-19 squad’s performance to the country’s cause.
With most senior national team players reaching the twilight of their careers, it is from among Utseya’s charges that the next crop of Chevrons is expected to emerge.
“It is always exciting to see young talent emerge and potentially step into the shoes of the current national team players.
“And it is important that for us to groom these players for the national team, we provide them with opportunities to gain exposure, experience and mentorship, and this can be achieved through practice sessions, competitive match opportunities and mentorship programmes to help them develop the necessary skills and the mindset needed to perform at the highest level,” he said.
Namibia will join Zimbabwe and South Africa as Africa’s representatives at the World Cup, after coming tops in qualifiers in Tanzania last month, which featured six African countries.
Utseya believes the increase in the number of cricket-playing nations will help speed up development of the sport in Africa.
Online Reporter