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Recent Achievements:
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Several of the U-19s have indeed graduated to the senior team where they continue to impress, and with the addition of some seasoned players, the team remains a potent force in ACC competition. Lack of adequate turf facilities across the key metros of the large country continue to hamper progress. Cricket is receiving active royal patronage in the kingdom and the Saudi Cricket Centre are active in reaching out to as many as possible who wish to play the game. The intention of the Saudi Cricket Centre (SCC) is to develop the kingdom’s infrastructure, youth and competition programs. “Youth development is the prime objective,” says SCC CEO Nadwi, “the targets are primary and secondary schools, where we hope to introduce the children to the basics of the game by way of inter-active and video demonstrations.” A tournament structure for age-groups for U-13 and U-16 up to U-19 as well as regional competitions for the seniors are proposed with particular emphasis being put on investing in turf surfaces at all the new academies and grounds. Junior involvement numbers more than doubled from 2012 to 2013 as primary schools are being targeted across the regions in order to bring more children to cricket. The intention is to create a focussed pathway for talented players to progress. Structured training programs and scholarships for the most promising players are proposed with full support being given to the new generation of coaches, curators and umpires that will be needed. There is also an expression of desire to attract Arabs to cricket. The Saudi Cricket Centre celebrated its tenth year of existence in 2013 and marked the occasion with a coaching camp run by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi as well as the inaugural Moneygram Cricket Ke Badshah Tournament. The event brought together over 4500 players from around the country in its second year and is proving to be a successful model for other countries in the region to follow.
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SAUDI CRICKET CENTRE P.O. Box 7272 Jeddah 21462 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Phone: +966 2 672 7434 Fax: +966 2 670 5632 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.saudicricket.org |
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