Emrit eager to serve as national U-17 coach

NEWLY appointed national Under-17 cricket coach, Rayad Emrit, is ready to begin his stint at the helm of one of the most crucial transitional stages for upcoming cricketers.

Fresh off a highly competitive campaign with the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the just concluded 2019 Caribbean Premier League, the 38-year-old pacer is eager to begin his campaign as head coach of the Under-17 squad. Emrit managed the team over the past competitive season and now welcomes the challenge to further instil his extensive knowledge and experience of the gentleman’s game to his countrymen.

“Having worked with this age group for the first time earlier this year, I got a chance to learn much more about this level (of players),” he said. “I’ve seen some talent that we can afford to nurture now. I haven’t met the team in its entirety yet, but I think I’ll enjoy coaching more than managing as it gives me a more hands-on approach.”

Emrit,however, stressed on the importance of getting an early start to training ahead of next year’s regional competitions. With the tournament tentatively scheduled to bowl off by or before March 2020, the former TTEC bowler wants to ensure that an ample amount of work has been put in, both on and off the field, before these young men competitively drape themselves in the red, white and black.

“Hopefully we can get an earlier start to training and practice matches for the team to experience different competitive scenarios,” he explained. “ I’d like to see how they assess and evaluate situations. This would help me to have a clearer understanding of how they think, assess and evaluate different situations. It is important to put in the work beforehand rather than wait until it’s too late.”

As manager during the previous season, Emrit worked alongside coach Gregory Davis. This year, as coach, the ex-Barbados Tridents pacer will have former national cricketer, Rajendra Mangalie, as the squad’s manager. Emrit believes with the duo’s healthy mix of cricketing knowledge, TT have the ability to produce dominant showings on the field of play. He also credited the TT Cricket Board for electing him as coach and aiding in the smooth transition of younger players into the premier divisions.

“There’s a lot of cricket to play heading into Under-19, Under-23 and senior category These are the players we want to groom in (properly) for the senior team. Once we give them the right preparation, when they reach at the senior level, everything would be able to fall into place. That’s what I believe the board is trying to do now. They are creating an easier transition for the players and also for the coaches that await the new crop of athletes,” he added.

Emrit admitted that even though he is new to the role of a full-fledge coach, he remains committed to the task at hand and will give his all to the vibrant bunch of promising professionals. He is still yet to meet all the players as some from the previous Under-15 batch have now moved up into this division for the first time. On his stint as manager for the past year, he revealed that it was an eye-opening experience.

“It was something different for me because I’m accustomed being on the field of play and not making major decisions while off the field. I anticipate the many questions, observations and ideas that these youngsters will bring to the table. For us to breed success however, we need to ensure these guys get the proper amount of training time in. It’s the only way. We have to begin our preparations early,” he concluded.