Looking the partFormer Aussie captain Steve Waugh apparently made more money out of his cricket diaries than he did from actually playing cricket. Admittedly there is probably less interest in the progress of the Turkish cricket team as it heads off to Corfu, Greece, to take part in the ICC European Division 5 Championship, but hey - why not do our own.
It was actually Steve Bryant's idea to start this up with the aim to keep family and friends informed as to what we are up to.
Some basic background info.
How the team was chosen: Under ICC rules for affiliate members, members of a team representing a country in an international competition must be either nationals or to have resided in the country for at least seven years (two players are allowed to have only been in the country for four years).
We have a league in Ankara, with one team from Istanbul, and it was from here that the 15-man squad was chosen. In the past 12 weeks or so we have been training like mad, including a nine-day stint with Raj Chaudhuri a UK-based level 3 coach.
Sajjad Haider with the team's mascot Matthew. The Spiderman fan unfortunately won't be with us in Corfu thanks to the start of the new school term. Cricket in Turkey is a fairly new sport but already we have been able to name six Turkish nationals in the 15-man squad. This will be the first time a Turkish team has played in an international tournament but with the development programmes we have started up at a few schools in Ankara, and our long-term plans to expand, in a few years time the number of Turks could well be 15 out of 15.
In the meantime, all I can say is how proud I am to represent the country where I have lived for the past 16 years, almost all of my adult life.
So we are off on Friday by coach to Istanbul, then fly to Athens and another flight to Corfu. I can't wait.
Oh yes - who are we playing? Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece and Sweden. Five one-day matches in six days.
Captain Jonathan Clarkson is awarded his cap at a ceremony at Bilkent University on Sunday August 30, 2009.The Squad.
Jonathan Clarkson (Capt.), Huseyin Sen, Hunnain Durrani, Mubashir Khan, Athar Imran Opal, Mohammad Razak, Abdul Hamid Chohan, Muhammad Aasim, Colin Sutcliffe, Imran Sharif, Syed Ateeq Ahmad, Christopher Wade, Sajjad Haider, Stephen Bryant, Khawar Nadeem; Coach - Raj Chaudhuri.
And by the way, I've just noticed that someone has been adding to wikipedia about us
Who needs changing rooms?
Good luck and success to you all from your one and only Scottish fan !!
ReplyDeleteLook forward to hearing that the Turkish team can emulate the winners of the recent Ashes Series ho ho ho !!!
All the best from Eski Kanka Jim
Oz, I have consulted all the gurus and idols on my current trip to India and they assure me you and your Turkish team will win!
ReplyDeleteActually it wasn't Steve Bryant's idea - Steve I hope you haven't hexed your chances by telling porkies..;-))
ReplyDeleteWell, Steve told me the idea... perhaps he did get it from someone else. One idea I'm sure was his was to not allow anonymous comments :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck guys from a steamy Beirut!
ReplyDeleteJason
There's a breathless hush in the Close to-night
ReplyDeleteTen to make and the match to win
A bumping pitch and a blinding light,
An hour to play, and the last man in.
And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat.
Or the selfish hope of a season's fame,
But his captain's hand on his shoulder smote
"Play up! Play up! And play the game!"
The sand of the desert is sodden red -
Red with the wreck of a square that broke
The gatling's jammed and the colonel dead,
And the regiment blind with dust and smoke.
The river of death has brimmed its banks,
And England's far, and Honour a name,
But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks -
"Play up! Play up! And play the game!"
This is the word that year by year,
While in her place the school is set,
Every one of her sons must hear,
And none that hears it dare forget.
This they all with a joyful mind
Bear through life like a torch in flame,
And falling fling to the host behind -
"Play up! Play up! And play the game!"
Never mind about Estonia - what you are doing is greater than merely getting a higher score than the opposition ;-))
The team looks so good. I also like those pictures. I'd like to take Cricket Supporters Tours and see them play.
ReplyDeleteThere are different places which can be seen and enjoyed in Turkey and Greece that you can be able to avail only if you choose an agency that conduct tours in both the places and will offer you exciting prices for the Turkey package tours and Turkey Greece tours.
ReplyDelete