Legends jet in to help Bermuda
West Indian cricket greats Courtney Walsh, Richie Richardson and Lance Gibbs arrived in Bermuda yesterday and are set to work with the national squad over the next three days in a specially arranged training camp.
The camp was the brainchild of coach Gus Logie in collaboration with the Stanford 20-20 organisers ? who appointed three of their cricketing ?legends? to fly to Bermuda to assist.
As part of Texan billionaire Allen Stanford?s recent $28 million financial injection into Caribbean cricket, each of the 19 countries who will compete at the inaugural Stanford 20-20 tournament in Antigua this July have been assigned one ?legend? to help them prepare and to ensure the money is being spent appropriately.
Gibbs has been appointed to Bermuda and is already well known locally having visited on numerous occasions over the last two years while Walsh ? the former world record Test wicket taker ? played in an exhibition match between a West Indies Select XI and St. George?s at Wellington Oval in 2002.
Former West Indian captain Richardson was part of Stanford?s entourage when he flew to Bermuda in January to drop off a cheque for $100,000.
Bermuda take on Jamaica in the Stanford 20-20 first round on July 21.
Speaking to last night, Logie insisted his national team players could only benefit from ?picking the brains? of such illustrious individuals.
?The camp is all part of the Board?s attempts to expose our best players to international competition and international expertise,? he said.
?The great thing about the guys we?ve got coming in is that they cover all bases. We?ve got a fast bowler in Courtney Walsh who will work with our seamers, we?ve got a world class spinner in Lance Gibbs who our spin bowlers will benefit from working with and we?ve got Richie Richardson to cover the batting.
?On top of this we are going to have some psychology and nutrition sessions while our very own Lorenzo Tucker (the national team statistician) will be giving all of us an introduction to the latest computer technology available to analyse everybody?s game. So hopefully, if the weather is kind to us we can have three really good days training with a lot of the guys together.?
Logie also revealed that he has been lobbying the BCB for more camps of this sort ? even without such high profile visitors and particularly in the run up to overseas tours.
?It?s something I have discussed with the Board and hopefully will work out,? he said.
?With a year to go before the World Cup, in the lead up to important assignments I need to get all the players together for about a week beforehand so that we can prepare properly and discuss how we are going to approach whatever challenge is before us. Normally, the players turn up in twos and threes during the week when they can get time off work but that is something I want to avoid before we travel abroad.?