Logie to pick out star performers
National coach Gus Logie?s workload will increase when the cricket season gets underway this weekend ? he now has to pick the most outstanding players of the week in both the Premier and First Division.
Awards worth $250 will be presented to the winners as part of a innovative new incentive package from sponsors Cingular.
Cricket?s sponsorship will be increased from $6,000 a year ago to just over $10,000 this time around, and aside from the individual awards there will be other incentives for teams which sees the champions of each division receiving $1,500, second placed team pocketing $750 with $500 going to third and fourth place finishers collecting $250.
Logie, the former West Indies Test player appointed to spearhead Bermuda?s drive to qualify for the World Cup in 2007, shared the Board?s view that the various forms of awards should play a major role in increasing interest and excitement among players and fans, but he urged the players not to allow any personal goals detract from the team aspect of their performance.
?Yes, awards like those being implemented are good for the game and the sponsors should be applauded for their involvement. At the end of the day a player needs to be rewarded for their efforts,? said the coach.
?However, I would think it?s the hope of the Board and myself that it doesn?t detract from the actual team at the end of the day because the players must stay focused on the needs of their team and be mindful that the team goals are always going to be more important than anything else.?
According to the Trinidadian, who has just signed a six-month coaching contract with the Board, it was good for players to have personal goals but they shouldn?t exceed something that the team is attempting to achieve ? which is to collect maximum points.
In attempting to find legitimate winners on a weekly basis, Logie intends to visit as many of the cricket grounds as possible while the Board is reminding all teams to have the summary information cards, which have been circulated to all affiliates, returned with the necessary information from their weekend matches by Tuesdays to make the selection of weekly winners easier. This will assist the coach in determining the most outstanding performers every week.
?Yes, I intend to go around and see as many games as possible on weekends,? said Logie.
?Bermuda is a relatively small place and it?s possible to get around and see a lot of games in a short time.?
BCB executive Neil Speight applauded Cingular for the substancial increase in sponsorship cricket has received.
?The weekly awards have been boosted considerably and of course we are delighted, the awards essentially consist of a phone and a month?s free service,? said Speight.
?I should point out that it?s vital for the clubs to fill out the scoresheets being circulated, have them signed by the umpire and return them to the Board?s office by Tuesday afternoons.
?It?s used for league tables, statistics and other averages and if it doesn?t reach us in time the offending clubs will not get the points from the game and their player will not get the weekly award ? so it?s possible they could have somebody taking ten wickets who will not receive an award.?
Meanwhile, two matches originally scheduled for Sunday have been postponed. The First Division clash between Willow Cuts and Police at Somerset has been put back by a week because Somerset?s ground is not yet ready while the Premier Division fixture between St. David?s and Social Club has been rescheduled for May 21 because the latter are on tour in the Caribbean. Cleveland v Western Stars, Wellington Oval; Bailey?s Bay v St. George?s, Sea Breeze Oval; Flatts v Southampton Rangers, Lord?s.: PHC v Somerset, White Hill; Warwick v Leg Trappers, Southampton Oval; Devonshire Rec. v Somerset Bridge, Devonshire Rec. All games start at 11a.m.