Kaieteur News article.
Georgetown, Guyana - The USA Global Cricket Academy (USAGCA) will embark on their second International tour of Guyana from March 28 to April 6 after a successful International tour in 2014-15 to India for Under-17 & U-19 teams during the Christmas break.
The North American Association continues to expand with an additional youth team to tour Guyana. In South America, U-18, U-15 & U-13 teams are scheduled to play six games of 40 to 50 overs each in Berbice and Demerara, while the U-18 side will face Regional U-19 double crown winners Guyana.
Over the years USA Cricket Academy with the vision “building great cricket professionals†has a long association with the USA junior Cricket teams like the U-13 team which toured Barbados in 2003, four U-18 teams to Trinidad & Tobago, U-15 & U-19 teams to Wales, four U-19 teams to the Sir Garfield Sobers International School cricket Tournament in Barbados and an U-18 team tour to India & Sri Lanka during 2006.
The 2015 tour of Guyana is in its final preparation under some highly qualified National coaches. A Group of 45 plus official members of USA Cricket Academy, which includes many elite players and will be joined by six experienced coaches in addition to two team management administrators for the Guyana tour. Many other parents are expected to join the tour to support the team.
“This tour will provide a great chance and the best opportunities for our players to play at the best facilities to get International cricket experience and will expect strong challenges from the most talented local players and teams. Tour will help our elite players to gain more confidence with vital experience as many players have played National, ICC Americas & International cricket. This tour will provide the right platform for all players to become professionals and stay on top for all future cricket events in USA,†The USA Cricket Academy Management explained to Kaieteur Sport.
The Coaching staff will be led by Head Coach, Berbice born 50-year-old Linden Fraser, who played a single First-Class game for Guyana as a fast bowler in the 1984. Fraser represented Guyana at the Regional U-19 level in 1983 in Jamaica and 1984 in Barbados. His other three First-Class matches were at the Inter-County level when he played two of them for Berbice and the other for Demerara to join the short list of cricketers who played for both Counties at the senior level.
Frazer, who went to the Christ Church Secondary School with former West Indies Captain and newly appointed CLP Head Coach for the Amazon Warriors Carl Hooper, has several years of dedicated service to youth cricket in the USA.
According to Fraser, the Coaches and management staff are all volunteers and are committed to seeing youth cricket in the United States flourish, adding that the USA Cricket Academy staff comprise of highly qualified professionals from various backgrounds who are well respected in the cricketing community
Former Guyana off-spinner and Guyana U-17 Coach Gavin Nedd is in charge of the U-15 team on this trip to his homeland, while USAGCA President Ashok Patel will also travel with the group.
The rest of the support staff consists of Basil Butcher Jnr (Physio), Rahul Sharma, (Global Operations Manager), D.K Ravi (Manager U-15 Team), Barney Jones (Chairman Selector USACA), Wesley King (Selector USACA), Jatin Patel (Global Development Manager) and J.P Singh (Operation Manager Guyana Tour)
Between June 18 and July 1, 2015 a number of developmental programmes have been organised including a tour to Houston National Camp /U-18 to prepare the USACA the team for ICC world cup U18 qualifier.
A trip to the Houston National Boot camp for youth players in addition to a tour to Bermuda to help prepare the USACA U-18 team for the U-18 ICC world cup U18 qualifier has also been planned. At the end of the year the U-19, U-17, and U-13 teams will tour Bangladesh.
