THE West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in conjunction with the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) will today start its grass-roots development programme for 2014.

The eight-week programme is designed to teach the basics and develop skills and knowledge of the game of cricket to young people across the country.

Thirty coaches, including former Jamaica players Orville Pennant of St Ann, Wayne Cuffe of Kingston and St Andrew, and Odelmo Peters of Clarendon will conduct respective three-hour camps across 15 clusters spanning the 14 parishes of the island for both boys and girls.

The programme, which was initially designed for the Under-15 and Under – 17 age groups, has been revamped according to WICB Territorial Development Officer, Phillip Service.

“We felt a need to run the programme at a lower age group level which fits into the whole grass-roots concept, so instead of working with the older kids we will be focusing on the Under-13 this time around; the best of the lot will then be added to our JCA emerging player database.”

Service added that at the end of the eight weeks approximately 20 boys will be selected for further training with former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh over a four-week period. From that group, the JCA will be hoping to select a squad for the national Under-15 programme.

Not to be outdone, the girls will also benefit from the project as a special plan is in place for them.

“What we will be hoping to do with the girls after the cluster process, is get the best crop in place for four weeks and we will be aiming to get some coaching assistance from our West Indies senior women’s players to help develop these youngsters.”

The Kingston and St Andrew east and west clusters will be conducted at the Excelsior High School and Maxfield Park, respectively, commencing at 9:00 am. Bridgeport cricket ground will be the venue for the Portmore cluster from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

The remaining cluster locations are as follows: St Catherine Charlemont High School 10:00 am — 1:00 pm St Thomas Seafort High School 9:00 am – 12 noon Portland Fair Prospect High 9:00 am – 12 noon St Mary Boscobel Primary School 11:00 am – 2:00 pm St Ann St Dacres 9:00 am – 12 noon Trelawny Bounty Hall Primary 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Westmoreland New Hope Prim & Jnr 11:00 am – 2:00 pm St Elizabeth Ballards Valley 9:00 am – 12 noon Manchester Manchester High School 9:00 am – 12 noon Clarendon Pennants 12 noon – 3:00 pm St James Jarrett Park 9:00 am – 12 noon Hanover Elgin Town 11:00 am – 2:00 pm