…Manager feels Super 8 qualification is good for cricket in America

DESPITE yesterday’s hard-fought loss to South Africa in the opening game of the Super Eight of the ICC T20 World Cup USA’s Assistant Coach Kevin Darlington and team Manager Kerk Higgins were pleased with fight shown by the Associate team in its first World Cup.
Ironically, it was South African born American Andries Gous who threatened to create a major upset against his former countrymen with a magnificent 80 from 47 balls with five fours and five sixes.
South Africa made 194-4 and led by Gous, USA fell just 18 short; losing six wickets.

Darlington who took 79 wickets from 30 First-Class matches for Guyana spoke about the USA’s road to the Super eights while Higgins provided his views on the impact of USA in this World Cup in sparking in a Country whose main sports are Baseball, Basketball.
The pair were speaking on Tuesday night’s ‘Sean Devers Sports Watch’ Radio program.

“Many might have been surprised that we got into the Super Eight but behind the scenes we have been working tirelessly.
In the team we have that belief that with the work that we have put in that if we stick to the processes and keep ticking those boxers the result would take care of itself and thus far that’s been happening.
The team has been working hard and is enjoying some of the success that has been coming our way and I just so proud and happy for them.

Coming into this World Cup we had a tri-series against Canada and Bangladesh. We actually won that series and the one against Bangladesh and really put us in good stead and give us the belief that we could compete with the big boys.
We don’t want to get too much ahead of ourselves and keep sticking to the processes and the results will come” said Darlington who played for Berbice Club Bemine before migrating to the USA.
The 52-year-old Darlington said playing against the West Indies would be ‘big’ especially for those in the team with West Indian backgrounds.
“Most of us would have had a taste of that in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe a few months earlier. We would have had a chance to compete against the West Indies and we are looking forward to doing in once more.
We have this policy that if we don’t win a game then let’s learn from them” continued the pacer who represented Guyana between 1995 and 2002.
He spoke about the Associates teams being less capable against high quality fast bowling due to the fact that they don’t have those kinds of pace in the Associates tournament.
“Within the team we have got that belief that we can compete.

You would have seen play against Pakistan which I think has a very good fast bowling attack. As I said before…the intention is If we don’t win let’s learn.
Our guys are also playing against a lot of these guys in the leagues, so they would have had chances to play against them.
But as a team we have not played at this level so we want to learn and take away as much as we can from this World Cup and if we can tick those boxes…you never what can happen,” added Darlington who played international cricket for the USA in 2010 and 2011.
The former fast bowler informed that the ‘vibes’ in team is very despite the cultural differences of members coming from India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies.
“In our gym sessions we take music there and I am responsible for the music, so I have got my hard drive full of Punjabi music, European music, Reggie music…all genres of music and everyone responds to it.
The vibes in the team are great …we stick together as a big family at Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast we sit and eat together. We discuss various topics, and we try to keep that family vibes throughout and it’s paying dividends so far and we want to keep it that way” concluded Darlington who made his first-class debut against Barbados.

USA team Manager Higgins says this performance from the teams could affect cricket in America in a positive way.
“We have already seen news of us not only beating Pakistan but advancing to Super eight. We have been in the news and a lot of TV channels here have been carrying this. So yes, it’s going to impact cricket with the younger generation being inspired to play in a World Cup since by being here we have qualified to be in the next World Cup,” stated Higgins who spent his younger years at GNIC in Georgetown.
“I expect to see a lot of the youngsters working hard to get to this level. Playing in the next World Cup could a vital role in advancing the image of cricket in the US.
With us advancing to Super eight now I expect to see more American kids trying and not only those from areas mainly populated by expatriates.
That’s why I feel it’s important to get more cricket into schools. Cricket is currently played in some schools in New York but need to the game in other areas because that’s the only American Kids will learn the sports and become interested in playing cricket,” posited Higgins.
In this present team only three persons were born in America Steven Taylor (Jamaican heritage), Jessy Singh (Indian heritage) and Skipper Aaron Jones (Barbadian Heritage).
They however became interested in cricket when they returned to the homeland of their parents. Taylar actually represented Jamaica in the sport while Jones played with some of Bajan West Indies played in Barbados club cricket at youth level