Bhutan progressing well in cricket: Roger Binny
Thimphu, Oct 10 (IANS) India’s 1983 World Cup winning member Roger Binny has said Bhutan has made notable progress in cricket within a short period in spite of introducing the game rather late.
Binny, the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) development officer, was in Bhutan to promote the sport among schoolchildren that will form the foundation and also work on providing infrastructure - for instance, a proper ground.
“It is still a minority sport in Bhutan, but the ones who play cricket do so with the right spirit and enthusiasm,” the Kuensel newspaper quoted Binny as saying.
“They see a lot of cricket on television and I’d like to see more tournaments for schoolchildren and a full-time coach to work with them.
“Cricketers are made, not born. It is a sport of technique, not of physical strength.”
A valued all-rounder in the Indian team from 1979 till 1987, Binny was on his first visit to Bhutan where he also assessed the sport’s infrastructure and the Bhutanese players.
“It is good for coaching but not for matches,” he said of the newly completed pitch at Changlimithang.
He said the ACC was looking at long-term development of the sport in Bhutan which would be carried out by providing coaching both for players and coaches, participating in tournaments, specialists trainings, administration and umpiring, at the initial development plan period.