Inaugural Global Cricket Development Symposium for Miami
Stabroek News
June 21, 2002

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World-leading development experts in cricket will meet at the first-ever Cricket Council of the Americas (CCAM) 2002 Global Cricket Development Symposium to help build a successful future for sport of cricket in the Americas. The symposium, which runs July 28th through 31, 2002, will be held in Orlando, Florida.

CCAM, with the endorsement of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), was instrumental in organizing the symposium. World experts will spend three days with organizers and patrons of cricket in the Americas discussing best practices in developing the sport and its all-round growth.

The symposium features major presentations regarding 'best practices' in cricket development by Reverend Wes Hall, famed West Indian fast bowler and current President of the WICB, Andrew Eade, ICC Global Development Manger and Ross Turner, General Manger of Game Development for the Australian Cricket Board. Additionally, Barrie Stuart- King, Chairman of the ACU&S, will discuss the "Art of Umpiring".

"This symposium of cricket development leaders from across the world is another major step in CCAM's commitment to developing excellence in cricket from a grassroots to Test nations level," says Robert Weekes, ICC Americas Manger. "We want to promote the sport at every level and encourage an increase in the number of adults and children playing cricket."

Weekes says that CCAM is the region's innovative cricket council in combining education, coaching and training. Its goal is to improve the concept of cricket throughout the western hemisphere and boost more nations throughout the Americas to Test level status.

"Moving towards the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, we know many nations in the Americas can build excellent programs by learning from the world's best," say Gregory Shillingford, CEO of the West Indies Cricket Board. "In addition to coaching and umpiring, this symposium will take a hard look at what can be done for evolution of junior programs in each nation." Coinciding with the symposium, six junior teams will compete in the CCAM 2002 Under 15 Cricket International Invitational Cricket Tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

The Global Development Symposium is open to the media and interview requests will be easily coordinated. A full breakdown of the three-day conference is available on the CCAM website: www.cricamericas.com. CCAM is the officially recognised Regional Council of the ICC in North, Central, South America and the Caribbean. For more information regarding CCAM and specifically the symposium, please contact Irene Hanley at 910/215.0607.