The state cricket team posing with SCA president Awang Mahyan Awang Mohamad (sixth left), Chung (fifth left) and head coach Chew Pok Chung (right) during a recent training session at SK Gita 2.
KUCHING: The Sarawak Cricket Association (SCA) are not setting any target for its team at the Inter-State Malay Cricket Tournament vying for the Rulers’ Shield in Selangor from Feb 17-22.
This is the first time that they are invited to take part in the championship organised by the Malaysian Malays Cricket Association of Malaysia for Malay cricket players from eight teams in the country.
SCA secretary Gordon Chung said Sarawak’s participation was aimed at giving exposure to young players especially students who will compete in the Malaysian Schools Sports Council Championship this year.
“We do not place high hopes on finishing well in this championship because we do not have many Malay players.
“It is to give the young players the opportunity to gain valuable experience from playing at a higher and more competitive level,” he said when met during the team’s training session at SK Gita 2 last Saturday.
Chung said the majority of the 14 team players are aged below 19 while the team is strengthened by only six seniors who represented Sarawak at last year’s Sukma in Kuala Lumpur.
The six seniors are Mohd Rafizul Radiman, Saiful Sahrom, Awang Amirul Rashid, Dave Henderson Francis, Muhd Yusof Annuar, Mohammad Saharuddin Mohd Sham.
Sarawak have been drawn in Group A with defending champions Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Kelantan and Sabah.
They will kick off their campaign against UKM on Feb 17, followed by the match against Kelantan on Feb 18 and against Sabah on Feb 19.
In Group B, the teams are last year’s runners-up Armed Forces, Negeri Sembilan, Perak TLDM and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals on Feb 21 while the final will be held on the next day.
All matches will be held at UKM Oval in Banggi; Kajang Oval and Victoria Oval.