Last week I had a terrific time. I had often heard of Chiang Mai's famous cricket sixes but had never managed to be in the right place, at the right time to enjoy them. Last week was a different and a delightful experience.
First, I should perhaps explain that when I should have been learning cricket in the UK I was actually in High School in America. Whilst there, I specialised in "Track", known in England as athletics, and when I returned to the UK this was the sport I played.
But I loved cricket. I realised it was too late to become any good at the game but I could enjoy watching it and did so, at every opportunity, and at every level. I discovered that watching a village team on Sunday afternoon can be every bit as entertaining as being at the Oval watching an international match.
Then one day I was asked to join the board of the National Playing Fields Association. My activities working with this excellent organisation caused me to be invited to become a Lord's Taverner.
I helped set up the North West committee and helped develop a new concept called "Quick Cricket".
 
Can you possibly imagine my delight when, on Friday afternoon, I turned a corner, at the San Miguel Chiang Mai Cricket Sixes and there, in front of me, was a bunch of young children playing Quick Cricket. Something I had a helped give birth to, over 30 years ago, was still alive and well. I was thrilled to pieces. More importantly, I was delighted by the enthusiasm and skill shown by the children playing.
Many of the teams who participated were either entirely or partly formed by Thai people. It is wonderful to see that Thailand has such a pool of cricket talent. I believe that, providing Thai cricketers can organise their governing body to think on a bigger scale than at present, then Thailand could become the centre of cricket in Asia. Australia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and no doubt others I have forgotten, can all put forward top quality cricket teams. Many hundreds of Thai people had been educated in the UK, Australia and Singapore where the game is very strong and they often learn to play from a very early age. Thailand is in the centre of all these places and would make a natural hub for nurturing this amazing game.
If Quick Cricket can be taught in all Thai schools then I am sure, within 20 years, Thailand could be winning some serious international trophies. |
