zimcricketforums.com

Wayne James happy with Tuskers Academy PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 12 June 2012 19:42

Sports Reporter

FORMER Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Wayne James believes the 16 participants at the on-going Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Franchise Academy have a potential of making it to future national teams.

The young cricketers aged between 17 and 21 are attached to the Tuskers Academy which roared to life last month and they will be getting specialised training for three months.



James is the head of the Tuskers Academy and is assisted by Matabeleland Tuskers senior team players Tawanda Mupariwa, spin bowler John Nyumbu and skipper Gavin Ewing. The technical team also has former national team player Mark Dekker.

In an interview during yesterday's 22nd day, James said their programmes have been going well.

The Tuskers Academy which is a brainchild of first team coach Dave Houghton is meant to give promising cricketers access to quality training to prepare them for a future in first class cricket.

"Things are going well as we are preparing to cover all aspects of the game. The whole purpose of the academy is to prepare these players for the bigger stage as we hope to see them representing Tuskers in the Franchise's League and hopefully Zimbabwe. We feel that they have what it takes to achieve that and just like any other sporting discipline, for them to be successful they have to keep their heads still," James said.

James said they have been teaching the young cricketers basics with the idea of developing them to complete athletes.

Before yesterday's morning training session, the Tuskers Academy participants were taken for fitness and balancing exercise by local karatekas.

James said to avoid boring the cricketers, they had come up with an interesting training programme.

Matabeleland Tuskers assistant area manager Victor Mhlanga was hopeful that from the group that is in the academy, they would produce national stars.

“This is a good project and as Tuskers we believe the future lies in these youngsters. We used to have a vibrant development policy that saw the likes of Christopher Mpofu and Njabulo Ncube graduating to senior teams.

Now these two are with the national team.

“We also have Nyumbu and Mupariwa who have also received call-ups for Zimbabwe A and they are products of our junior development programmes.

“The Tuskers Academy presents these cricketers with an opportunity to perfect their skills, grasp what they have been taught and then produce it on the field.

“Hopefully, from this group we will have more players being selected for future national teams,” said Mhlanga.

Three of the 16 participants Brian Chari, Tony Mupariwa and Godwill Mamhiyo played first class cricket but they were not regulars.

Tuskers Academy squad
Brian Chari, Tony Mupariwa, Nkosana Mpofu, Kyle Bowie, Godwill Mamhiyo, Mxolisi Dube, Tawanda Bidi, Keith Kwangwara, Kevin Kandala, Stephen Chimhamhiwa, Shelton Tshuma, Kudzai Banda, Ntando Masuku, Righteous Maseko