Youth coach: ‘Untapped cricket resources in northeast Trinidad’
RANDY Mahase believes in the cricketing talent of northeast Trinidad and wants to help develop it, as he is certain many quality cricketers still remain undiscovered.
Mahase started coaching at his childhood home in Sangre Grande during the covid19 pandemic, and that is where the idea of the Kricket Lab Academy was conceptualised.
When his younger brother Anderson was selected for the West Indies Under-19 training squad, the older Mahase wanted to keep his brother active.
“We really and truly did not have anywhere to train, so we cleared the living room, we cleared all the furniture and we placed two mattresses on the ground and that is how we started practising. that’s how the club really came about,” Mahase said.
The West Indies Under-19 cricketers were restricted to their homes during the pandemic, but Mahase did not want his brother to fall behind.
“I was there training him, being able to facilitate whatever little sessions that the coaches might have told him to work on and just tried to build his level of confidence... to be the best that he could be with whatever little that we had.”
That supervision paid off, as the junior Mahase was eventually selected got the final West Indies squad for the 2022 International Cricket Council Under-19 World Cup. Mahase holds training sessions at the Ojoe Road Recreation Ground in Sangre Grande with children as young as six.
Other than supporting Anderson’s career, Mahase also started helping cricketers build profiles.
The profiles included videos of the cricketers in an effort to get their names out to the wider public.
Mahase said there is no shortage of ability in the northeast and believes with more support more players can be developed.
“In two to three years I think I should be producing several more players for the national team. that will be my long-term goal. I want Trinidad and Tobago to especially have four-dimensional players.”
“Four-dimensional” players can bat, bowl, field and wicket-keep.
“I want to be able to produce these guys because northeast has an abundance of talent, and I think it is just an untapped resource in terms of getting the kids from up on this side whether it be athletics, football, cricket, you name it. It is just an abundance of talent waiting to be discovered.”
Mahase has had coaching stints with the North East Under-15 Interzone team, who play in the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board Under-15 Zonal competitions.
The Kricket Lab Academy is a growing club, as Mahase said 2024 has been a year of development.
“The club has tripled (in size), being able to get more organised in terms of them getting jerseys.”
Tariq Richards, a Kricket Lab Academy member, was recently chosen for the tt Under-15 cricket team to compete in the Cricket West Indies regional Under-15 tournament starting later this month.
Mahase said it was an emotional feeling when Richards was selected.
“The only thing I did not do was cry,” Mahase said. “I told Anderson this youngster’s talent is just remarkable in terms of his ability to do everything. He can bat, bowl, wicket-keep and he is an excellent fielder.”
Richards was rewarded with the selection after scoring heavily in the TTCB Interzone Under-15 tournament, which included a century. Mahase said Richards will inspire people in his community of Toco.
“I told him, ‘You are going to be the start of something very big for Toco. Believe it or not, there are a lot of kids around that look up to you.’”
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"Youth coach: ‘Untapped cricket resources in northeast Trinidad’"