Of the two great bat-and-ball sports in the world, sa国际传媒 was influenced more by American culture and fell into the baseball sphere. But we are a Commonwealth country, and cricket, although a secondary sport here, has a venerable tradition in places such as Victoria, Vancouver and Toronto.
The 10-team Victoria and District Cricket Association opens its 2016 season April 16.
It is imperative that youth continues being infused into the system. Toward that end, South African pro Carl Raubenheimer has been brought in by the VDCA to conduct clinics this week for Island Under-21 players, who are called Colts.
He likes what he sees.
鈥淚 had no idea what to expect walking into this,鈥� admitted Raubenheimer, who answered an online ad placed by the VDCA.
鈥淭here are more than a few talented players on the Island. I have been pleasantly surprised. It鈥檚 just a matter of fine-tuning a few things to get them to top level. If these young guys work hard at it, as I did in my career, I definitely see a few players who will play for sa国际传媒 one day.鈥�
The 32-year-old Raubenheimer is a leg-spin bowler and right-handed batsman who played in the top South African pro league for the Cape Cobras and at the representative level for Boland province.
The young Island players have responded well to Raubenheimer鈥檚 instruction this week. Maybe that鈥檚 because he has got a bit of a Canadian sporting streak in him. He is proving that a good athlete is a good athlete. Raubenheimer spent three months at Big White last year and picked up snowboarding like nobody鈥檚 business and is now a Level 2 instructor, not that he has much opportunity to practise it back home. There is a bit of rudimentary ski hill in nearby Lesotho, but nothing like in sa国际传媒
It is the oval and not the ski hill, however, on which Raubenheimer is concentrating here this week. And that sport of his has seen many changes. Traditional multi-day Test cricket has given way to one-day and even shorter 20-20 versions of the sport. The main World Cup every four years is conducted on the one-day format. The 20-20 format has exploded with the Indian Premier League, which is the cricket equivalent of the NHL. The 20-20 World Cup is currently taking place in India.
鈥淚 was a purist,鈥� admitted Raubenheimer, of his love for Test cricket.
But he is also a realist.
鈥淎daptability is key in the sports world,鈥� he added.
He compared the shorter forms of cricket to rugby sevens, the suddenly trendy newest Olympic sport, which makes its debut this summer in Rio.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about marketability,鈥� said Raubenheimer.
鈥淢oney drives sports.鈥�
The bat-and-ball sporting world is divided between cricket and baseball, each big-money sports in their spheres of influence.
鈥淲e have a baseball team attached to our cricket club in Cape Town and sometimes I will wander over and watch them training,鈥� said Raubenheimer.
But it鈥檚 the oval, not the diamond, with which he is most familiar. Don鈥檛 be surprised if you see a few Island players on sa国际传媒 at future World Cups because of it.
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
