Female cricket needs a boost from the ground. The game will grow in a true sense when it gets newer avenues at the regional level. A heartening update comes from the Netherlands where the post of National Head Coach for Women is advertised along with the Lioness.
Lioness is the youth programme for girls. While women’s cricket has been prevalent at clubs in the Netherlands and also the national stage but this for the first time that the role of women’s coaching position has been rewarded prominence. It must be noted that while local coaches have been appointed earlier, these have been on an ad hoc basis and only for specific tournaments.
Sean Trouw is one of the key figures for the coaching of the national women’s side and also for overseeing the development of the Lioness programme. Lioness program was interestingly established a decade ago. Trouw, however, announced in June that he would leave at the end of the year. With two major tournaments lined up for the near future, Netherlands needed a figure to take the team into T20 and 50-over World Cups.
KNCB seeks Netherlands Women’s Head Coach https://t.co/RRiTkrbFVy@JobsInCric @EmergingCricket @ICC @icc_europe @CricketEurope
— Cricket🏏Netherlands (@KNCBcricket) October 20, 2020
The higher profile gets open now with an open recruitment process. Reports have revealed that the board was looking for a coach with a level 3 qualification and experience in elite and talent development. The appointed coach will guide all national women’s teams including senior and junior teams. Moreover, he or she will supervise and develop an existing lot of coaches which was formed during Trouw’s tenure. Advertising suggests that the appointed applicant will be playing a full part in the High-Performance programmes of KNCB.
The appointment of the head coach is expected to raise the existing status of women’s cricket. The applications will close on 13 November. It must be brought to the attention of readers that only 8 of 40 member clubs of KNCB could present a side for women’s competition.
A series of recommendations from a review in 2014 remain in the cold box. The past, however, was different. At its peak in 1985, there were 35 teams from 26 clubs. The current number is a mere eight.
The Netherlands and other associate counties have to focus on improving their infrastructure and lifting potential from the grassroots level. The newly appointed coach will look forward to taking this task.
Source: Rod Lyall for Emerging Cricket
A student who enjoys studying cricket more than anything else, keen to learn the insights of the women’s game.