No better time to excel in island colours

GUERNSEY cricket may already seem to be booming, but in many respects it is only scratching the surface. The fact is that until deciding to apply to join the ICC, the island had reached a ceiling - beating Jersey was our sole yardstick and the health of our cricket was being judged entirely on a single limited-overs match against our neighbours.

Instantly, the world of international competition has just opened to us and there is no limit to how far we can go. Our local game will inevitably change.

Many of the changes made to our weekend leagues and cups have been introduced to ensure that our cricketers are as familiar as possible with the same format that they will be playing in international competitions.

This summer sees the first year of the exciting CI Club Championship, giving the top six weekend sides in both Guernsey and Jersey much more exposure against each other.

This initiative has been talked about for years but it is finally happening and will undoubtedly raise the playing standards in both islands and provide all of our top players with more 'pressure cricket'.

We have been incredibly fortunate in the last five years to have experienced such an influx of top-class cricketers to Guernsey.

Ami Banerjee, Glenn Milnes and Jeremy Frith have played first-class cricket in recent years (in India, New Zealand and England respectively) and we now have Nick Derbyshire (another former county cricketer) to boost the ranks.

Our real fortune is not in having these guys as cricketers, although that's obviously a big plus, but in having the benefit of their coaching and professionalism.

They have managed to instil new attitudes to very talented local club players who were not really pushing themselves because they had already reached the local ceiling of the game. Guernsey cricket will continue to reap the benefit of their input long after they leave our shores.

Life is about to change for many of our top players in all age groups.

If they really want to go as far as they possibly can as international cricketers, then cricket will have to become their number one sport, perhaps even their only serious sport.

They will be training and playing as cricketers for nine months a year and for the other three, they will be expected to keep themselves in good shape.

For every player who slackens off, there will be another half-dozen desperate to step into their shoes and get into the international scene. These players will all need to be more disciplined and focused in their approach to cricket from now on, whether in the nets or at fielding practice which I have no doubt will become far more extensive than at present.

When looking at the amazingly talented crop of youngsters that we currently have, particularly from under-15s downwards where we are talking about quantity of quality, the future of Guernsey cricket is incredibly exciting.

We have a fantastic team of dedicated administrators and coaches and there are many cricketing nations who would give anything to have what we now possess.

So, having made the decision to apply to join the ICC, what goals should we realistically be setting ?

My personal view is that we should be aiming to achieve all of the following:

*Win the ECC Trophy (senior) in 2005

*Win the European Championship Second Division (senior) in 2006

* Procure Associate Member status by 2007

*Host (and co-host with Jersey) international or European regional competitions by 2007

*Participate in the Transcontinental Cup (three-day, first-class cricket) by 2008

*Participate regularly in international women's tournaments by 2008

*Achieve European Championship First Division status in every age group by 2008

*Qualify for the World Cup qualifying tournament and reach the last eight in 2009.

*Qualify for Under-19 World Cup in 2010

Can we achieve these goals?

Of course we can.

We have so much in our favour and we will be joining the ICC at a very high starting point in terms of our playing standards, facilities and infrastructure.

We only have to look to the likes of Sri Lanka, Kenya, Namibia, Nepal and Canada for inspiration as cricketing minnows who are punching above their weight on the international stage.

Although not a cricketing nation as such, a perfect example of what is achievable can be found in Antigua.

A 60,000 population, surrounded by an expensive stretch of water and with high inter-island travel costs, yet they have produced more than a dozen Test players for the West Indies.

Their facilities and infrastructure don't even remotely compare with what we already have here in Guernsey, let alone what we will have in five year's time.

Cricket is in their blood and that is really starting to be the case in Guernsey as well as interest in the game has already taken off in recent years.

The island will undoubtedly benefit from a tourism perspective from Guernsey cricket's new profile.

We really want to be regularly hosting a healthy share of the many international and European regional tournaments in the near future and put Guernsey on the world map.

The birth of Guernsey as a cricketing nation is a fantastic opportunity for our players.

The carrot of regional and global international competition, travelling the world to represent Guernsey and with absolutely no limits on how far we can go, is an amazing prospect.

Several Guernsey cricketers are likely to be able to play in two, three or even four World Cup qualifying tournaments during their career and also in Under-19 World Cups

It certainly promises to be a fascinating journey for everyone involved with this initiative, both now and in the future.

Make no mistake about it - Guernsey cricket really is about to take off.