… Lloyd tells audience
FORMER Guyana and West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd last Sunday told his audience at the 22nd Annual Awards ceremony of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC), without a foundation of good discipline we are likely doomed. The man who was known as the ‘Super Cat’ during his playing days for Guyana, the West Indies and even Lancashire, was delivering the feature address to an audience which included former West Indies middle order batsman Basil Butcher and other special invitees and awardees.
Below is the full excerpt of Lloyd’s speech, at the end of which a thunderous applause filled the ears of those who gathered:
“A pleasant good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!
Let me first say what a pleasure it is to be here with you and how much of a distinct honour it is to have the opportunity to address you at this challenging time in the development of sports and particularly cricket in our community.
As you know, ladies and gentlemen, the topic tonight is the importance of discipline for young cricketers – and my vision for Guyana’s cricket.
In the pages of Webster’s dictionary, or in the lingo of nowadays – if you ‘Google’ it, you would find that one of the definitions of the word ‘discipline’ is: “training expected to produce a specific type or pattern of behaviour … especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.”
And so the connotation based on the latter definition is that if discipline is exercised in a specific venture by someone then ultimately there will be a positive effect.
Ladies and gentlemen, each of us, as we develop in our daily life, has been influenced in some measure – at some point or other – by guidance that would hopefully chart a course of propriety in our personal development as responsible members of society.
Even as children we are taught and nurtured by our elders to inculcate good manners and proper habits that would not only make us responsible citizens of our community, but successful individuals as well.
It is reasonable to assume therefore that in life, without a foundation of good discipline we are likely doomed to a future of, not necessarily, failure but of uncertainty, and likely instability.
In my view my dear friends, in life, good discipline, some good fortune, and proper decision-making are more often than not a formula for success. And so it is in sports. And sports is a reflection of life.
The late great lamented English commentator John Arlott wrote in his book on cricket published back in 1977 that – “the fact is that sport is part of life; and no sport runs deeper into life than cricket.”
Ladies and gentlemen, from my vantage point, discipline is perhaps the most critical element in the development and the success of a young cricketer.
Having been blessed with a measure of natural ability, a young cricketer must exercise the discipline of firstly recognising what it takes to enhance those skills and to succeed at every level of that endeavour, whether it would be batting, bowling or fielding, or indeed all of the above, as the modern-day game demands.
The cricketer even in his or her formative years must be cognisant of the fitness preparation, for instance, that is required to attain the optimum level of performance to achieve advancement.
The young cricketer must be disciplined enough to adopt the appropriate training regimen that would be the basis of successful pursuits in the game.
As a keen cricketer and a teenager on my field of dreams for the most part at the Demerara Cricket Club in Queenstown, without the benefit of a coach or modern technology, I practised relentlessly and achieved significant advancement.
Focus must be an important part of the discipline of a young cricketer. He or she must be sophisticated enough, ladies and gentlemen, to understand that whether at practice session or in an actual game, the importance of single-minded concentration on every delivery whether batting, bowling or fielding, is critical.
Although cricket essentially revolves around the spontaneous reactions of young beings, the nature of the game is that potential demise resides in every delivery and the young batsman must therefore manifest the discipline to play every ball on its merit for security, and the bowler must aim to deliver every ball as immaculately as possible to expedite a dismissal or restrict scoring.
The young cricketer must necessarily develop the discipline that is mental toughness required to occupy the crease for several hours in order to achieve the ultimate goal of completing a century or building a big innings.
This, ladies and gentlemen, requires the determination to be productive or stoic in defence incrementally, one ball at a time, one over at a time, one session at a time.
And bowler, batsman, even fielder should be disciplined to study their opponents to such an extent that they are fully knowledgeable of their individual strengths, weaknesses, and the tendencies.
In his critically acclaimed book – ‘Beyond a Boundary’ – the prolific Trinidadian author and late historian C.L.R. James wrote with deep conviction about the potential of the athlete – James said “the record breaker of the future will be a man of intelligence with an imaginative approach”.
Most often, ladies and gentlemen, what separates the great player from the good player is his or her cerebral application to the task, and the synergistic effect of the cerebral with the physical.
So my friends, it can be said that discipline, determination, dedication along with natural ability are vitally important elements to the success of the young cricketer.
Finally it requires from the committed young cricketer as he develops, that essential element of discipline to not minimise his or her individual skills or talents, but to recognise that he or she is most importantly a part of a team and that it is as a unit that ultimate success is achieved.
My proudest accomplishment as West Indies captain, ladies and gentlemen, was the cohesiveness which characterised the legendary team that attained such lofty heights for the proud people of the Caribbean.
In today’s heightened standards of competitiveness in the game and with the proliferation of heavily commercialised cricket, the young player must recognise the demands and take the initiative to sharpen their focus and elevate their level of performance.
My vision for Guyana’s cricket would envision a complete reversal of the decline and engender comprehensive improvement of the game at all tiers, from Under-13 to National/International levels.
There must be a proper administrative structure that would constitute the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). The board must be duly elected by free and fair means. Generally, officials of the board must be qualified and committed to transparent and efficient administration of cricket in Guyana.
As duly constituted, the board must be organised to include regular and impromptu audits and similar conditions would apply to County and Regional cricket boards with a measure of coordination with the national body.
Of vital importance would be the improvement of cricket infrastructure including the use of technology, throughout the nation to create a proper environment for the re-development of the game.
The board would oversee the implementation of a professional coaching programme targeted to Under-13 through Under-19 cricketers in every region. Ideally these coaches would be proactive as a matter of responsibility for unearthing talent in the various regions.
The board would formulate a focused and vibrant competition committee to effect the resurgence of competitive primary and high school cricket, while administering t20, 50-over and four-day competitions in the various counties and nationally.
At this juncture, my friends, it is apposite to mention that as currently organised the Berbice Cricket Board should serve as a model for those yet formulated and I must take this opportunity to commend the members of the Berbice board for their sterling efforts.
In my view the board should also oversee the completion and management of a national cricket academy where training at this institution would encompass not only expert cricket coaching and physical fitness, but nutrition, business, psychology, leadership, human relations, computer and other skills.
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, to finance various projects geared to the uplifting of Guyana’s cricket, it is essential to recognise that traditional sources of funding would not suffice, hence it is imperative therefore that there be significant corporate, commercial and other non-governmental involvement.”