Chairman of selectors Arnold Manders has been appointed as Bermuda Cricket Board’s new director of cricket development.

The former Western Stars, St. George’s Cup Match and national team all-rounder will leave his post as head of physical education at Berkeley to take up the role full-time.

Manders, who represented Bermuda for over 23 years as a player and a captain, replaces another former national team star Wendell Smith, who stepped down earlier this year after almost 15 months in the job for personal reasons.

While Smith’s primary focus when taking the job in January 2006 was on the development of youth cricket, Manders by contrast has been handed a much broader mandate.

According to a BCB statement released yesterday evening, he will be asked to implement and develop a rolling four-year national development across all levels and age groups, increase the number of young people playing cricket in both schools and clubs, put in place policies which will help to raise the overall standard of play at all levels and ensure the coaching “philosophy” of national coach Gus Logie is followed by the various coaches of the national youth teams.

“I am very excited to accept the position of director of cricket development,” Manders was quoted as saying in the BCB statement.

“I have been involved with cricket from such a young age and it has always been a desire of mine to work with the BCB to install cricket once again as the sport of choice amongst youngsters. I feel that my experience of having worked in the education system and in my roles on various cricketing boards that I am well equipped to face the challenge. I look forward to what lies ahead and working in what I see as the most dynamic national sports body in Bermuda.”

BCB president Reggie Pearman said: “We are exceptionally pleased to appoint Arnold, a candidate who comes to us with a wealth of coaching experience and an extensive background in the development and management of cricketing programs. The role of the director is vital to our strategic goal of developing and promoting cricket amongst our youth and I have full confidence that Arnold is the person to do that.”