Introduction
I was invited to join a team of 13 secondary schoolboys drawn from school teams from Wellington, Christchurch, Waimate, Dunedin and Invercargill for 14 days in April 2012 as they made a journey to Sri Lanka and Malaysia playing nine games, winning seven, losing one and having one abandoned by the umpires on account of danger of lightning strike.
Background
The Willows has been responsible for organising three previous tours of a similar kind. It was thought that the addition of a further couple to the group would make a total of 20 people on tour – players, manager, coaching director, coach and supporters. The supporters might facilitate meeting(s) with local people and cricket and school administrators as well as providing some degree of New Zealand profile for the team and those they encountered. My wife Susan was happy to join the enterprise and enjoyed the venture with me.
Organisation
The responsibility for central control was vested in Paul McEwan, a well-known New Zealand and Canterbury cricket figure who was willing to shoulder the duties for a fourth time. His knowledge of the game and the boys as well as being a skilled and seasoned businessman made him together with his wife Julie essential cogs in the wheel. There were a number of special character-building aspects for any travel in a country with 30 plus temperatures and high humidity. The fact that the 14 days ended without any lapses, injuries, illness or mishaps is a credit to the skill and goodwill of this remarkable couple.
They were assisted in the cricket side of things by Richard Hayward the former Somerset and Central Districts professional and Canterbury Cricket Performance Manager. Richard has considerable skill in player development and his attention to the whole team was hugely interesting not only to observe but to see implemented in the boys’ efforts on the different fields and different teams they encountered.
Last but by no means least came the efforts of David Grocott, a long term Shirley Boys’ High School Economics Teacher whose career has also involved long and consistent cricket coaching. David had particular abilities to relate to boys and to secure their best efforts at all times.
Because of local conditions very different from New Zealand it was necessary to engage local organisers and the choice of these, particularly in Sri Lanka made sure that all arrangements relating to communication, transport, accommodation, gear maintenance, laundry and making local connections all worked well. The sterling efforts of our main guide, Mr Shereen Hussain, a Sri Lankan born cricket follower who, after completing a professional life in Australia working in the social services field, for example some years as a conciliator in the Family Court in Victoria. He has returned to undertake the retirement phase of his life with his wife, partly in Sri Lanka. He spends time each year facilitating the visits of cricket teams – his next assignment in May being the Pakistan side. After one or two encounters he very much favours the company of New Zealanders and his efforts in the interests of the Willows boys were unstinting and very adroit.
The only comment I make about organisation is that it has become hugely dependent on the knowledge and skill of one (or in this case) two persons and in the event of someone other than the McEwans being involved, that person or those persons would face an enormous task. It seems to be to be a good idea to encourage the writing down what was done and how it was done so that there will be some kind of manual available for successors in the future.
Games
The venues in both countries were good by international standards. Sri Lanka is a country where the relationship with cricket is intense and the wickets and grounds were prepared to a high standard. Likewise in Malaysia the grounds played on were of ICC rated quality. The standard of umpiring was good especially after one takes into account different language use. A slight problem relates to the kinds of teams played, namely that there is in both countries the notion of age with teams being chosen from Under 16, Under 18, Under 19 and so forth. The requirement on the New Zealand side was that the players still be enrolled at school. This meant a mixture of boys aged 16 (two), 17 (nine) and 18 (two). The Sri Lankan authorities provided some teams who looked very young and other teams who looked older than our complement. It is difficult to see how this might be addressed in the future but some effort is called for so it can be ensured that “apples are playing apples” so to speak.
Transport
Travel by air utilised the services of the low cost carrier Air Asia X which, although spartan, provided efficient service in both directions with modern Airbus 320 or 330 aircraft. This airline has given notice of its withdrawal from servicing New Zealand as a destination and the cost factor in forthcoming tours may require adjustment as a result... Surface transport in both countries was provided by bus and this was the most satisfactory way in which to shift 20 people. Cricket gear is both sizeable and weighty and this called for the use of an additional van. There is of course payment needed for the people to undertake this and it is vital for everything to be done on time and well so that appropriately turned out teams can take the field each day. It did seem to outsiders that another set of playing gear and another set of general apparel may be a good investment for further tours.
Accommodation
With young men playing in trying conditions leading to exhaustion and exposure, it is important for proper attention to be directed to places with pools and rooms to relax in and which can provide abundant meals quickly. With the expertise built up by the McEwans and Shereen Hussain, this was delivered well in both countries. In strange countries, so far as the young men are concerned, it is also desirable for the residential venues chosen to be safe and attuned to the needs of a team (such as spaces for team meetings, access to swimming pools etc). I would not have changed any aspect of this – even if it was quite some distance to and from venues from the hotel in Kandy.
Contact with locals
Social contact with opposing teams occurred in the time honoured way and the New Zealanders conducted themselves in an admirable fashion with sportsmanlike approaches to their opponents and with handshakes, speeches and provision of Willows caps and plaques at the end of games. It seems to me that, with preparation, there could be more effort made in this regard – for the boys to have instilled that they are some kind of “ambassadors” for New Zealand, having more contact with locals, meeting people in school settings, speaking a little in the Singhala (or Bahasa Malaysia) languages, handing out material about New Zealand and undertaking hakas and perhaps singing if called upon. The potential for this was displayed when the boys with no particular request being made, undertook in Colombo, a spirited “kamate kamate” haka as a thank you gesture for a dinner tendered in their honour, hosted by Mr Merrill Fernando. Attention to this kind of thing could secure coverage in the media, forthcoming assistance from the New Zealand High Commissions and Consulates. As large New Zealand corporates expand their operations in Sri Lanka, financial help as well as help in kind could be forthcoming. Similar scrutiny to Malaysia may well pay off in a similar fashion. Help may be available from the education sector to secure help as Universities, Polytechnics and even secondary schools seek to grow the number of foreign nationals studying in New Zealand. A final and similar comment can be made regarding the tourism industry.
Conclusion
The matter of cricket being played in Asian settings can be seen as a definite “win” for aspiring New Zealand cricketers who can make quality decisions about their real future in the game after a tour of the kind pioneered by the Willows academy – especially if the management and coaching is of the quality provided on this occasion. It can also be registered as a “win” in countries where cricket is played to a greater extent than in New Zealand (Sri Lanka) where exposure to foreign sides is considered desirable. Lastly it is also a “win” in those countries like Malaysia where cricket is somewhat behind badminton, hockey and soccer in the national consciousness but where there is keenness to expand. It has been a wonderful enterprise with which to have had a connection at this stage of its development.