ICC President Alan Isaac terms ICC U19 CWC 2014 a perfect launching pad

ICC President Alan Isaac terms ICC U19 CWC 2014 a

 perfect launching pad

I am confident that the learnings from this event will stay with the next generation of cricketers for the rest of their careers,” says Mr Isaac

ICC President Mr Alan Isaac on Sunday said the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2014 UAE 2014 has provided a perfect launching pad for the future stars of the sport and hoped a number of players from this event will go on to become ambassadors of the global game.

“The feedback I have received from the players and support staff is that the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup UAE 2014 has been a fantastic experience and a great learning opportunity for everyone. I am confident that the learnings from this event will stay with the next generation of cricketers for the rest of their careers.

“The players who played in this tournament are our asset and if they believe they have benefitted from this tournament, then that is incredibly pleasing and satisfying. I’m sure this tournament will help these talented cricketers go on to serve their countries and the sport with distinction, and also become role models for other emerging cricketers,” Mr Isaac said on Sunday, a day after South Africa won its maiden title.

Talking about the importance of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, Mr Isaac said: “This event has been designed as a finishing school for these young cricketers. It is an opportunity for players to test their skills in a full ICC tournament environment against their peers from around the world, and I think they have risen to that challenge.

“But it has been about more than that. The players have received education on matters of anti-corruption and anti-doping, they have learned how to cope with questions from the media and generally being in the spotlight. They have learned how to perform to the best of their ability in the midst of all the distractions that go along with events like this. In short, this event has put them on the road to becoming well-rounded sportsmen.”

Mr Isaac closely followed the tournament and has been impressed with a number of players. “I have followed this tournament on television, thanks to our broadcast partner Star Sports, and have also read in the print media. There have been a number of strong and consistent performances from the likes of Jake Doran of Australia, Shadman Islam of Bangladesh, Ben Duckett of England, Kuldeep Yadav of India, Imam-ul-Haq of Pakistan, Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada of South Africa, Sadeera Samarawickrama of Sri Lanka and Tagenarine Chanderpaul of the West Indies.

“Considering that young guns like Corey Anderson, Shikhar Dhawan, Chris Gayle, Junaid Khan, Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli, Angelo Mathews, Mushfiqur Rahim, Steven Smith and Ross Taylor graduated into international cricket from this tournament, I keenly look forward to seeing who from this year’s event follows in the footsteps of these modern day stars and go on to become household names.”

Mr Isaac congratulated South Africa on its success. “I would like to congratulate all the teams and the participants for playing good and hard cricket, and especially South Africa, which won its first title after twice finishing as runner-up. While remaining unbeaten in the 2014 tournament, South Africa consistently maintained a high level of performance.”

Mr Isaac also thanked the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for its support and cooperation. “Without the support and assistance of the home board, the ICC cannot produce world-class tournaments, and I’m delighted that the ECB has been a wonderful host. It has been a busy season for the ECB, with Pakistan playing its domestic international series, and, in between, the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2013. But the ECB made sure its venues were of the highest standard and the staff was supportive, welcoming and hospitable.

“I also take this opportunity to thank the ICC staff, which worked tirelessly to make this a memorable and enjoyable event for the future stars of our game.

“The support extended by ICC’s sponsors has been tremendous and I would like to thank all our commercial partners - Reliance, LG, Pepsi, Emirates, Reebok, Castrol, MoneyGram, Hyundai and Dubai Sports Council – as well as our broadcast partner Star Sports for their continued support and patronage.”