Black Cap coming to Rarotonga

New Zealand cricketer Mathew Sinclair will hit our shores next week as part of a newly formed partnership between Cook Islands Cricket and the New Zealand Cricket Players Association.

While the main focus of Sinclairs visit will be centred around creating elite sustainable resources for local conditions, clubs and players will also have the opportunity to meet and receive coaching from him.

The partnership promises regular visits from New Zealand cricketers to the Cook Islands who will assist in the development of high performance initiatives.

Cook Islands Cricket chief executive officer Alister Stevic said that the partnership offered a significant step forward in the international status of cricket for the Cook Islands.

The development of cricket in the Cooks over the past two years has been superb, real testament to the passionate people and volunteers in our community, Stevic said.

We must continue to take a strategic approach toward our future if we are to cement ourselves as a world class minnow cricketing nation.

This programme provides cricketers, coaches and administrators the opportunity to learn from regular visits by talented and experienced New Zealand cricketers and is a great leap forward in realising our objectives.

Stevic also commented that a second visit for the season was on the cards, this one to cater for the Cook Islands female cricketers.

We are very close to securing a second player, while I cant give too much away at this time I can say that it is a female player who has an impressive international record for the White Ferns, he said.

Sinclair, who played 32 tests and 54 one day internationals for New Zealand, holds the world record for the highest score (214) by a number three batsmen on debut.

Sinclair will touch down at Rarotonga on September 5.