Colin’s key role in Seniors’ cricket

January 15, 2023

SUFFOLK Cricket Commercial Manager Colin Walters is playing a key role in the global expansion of Seniors’ cricket.

The 65-year-old will be leading a Rest of the World side in a tournament in the West Indies.

Colin (above left) will be team manager as well as playing for the Rest of the World side in The Big Man Caribbean Over-60s Cup in Barbados.

The one-off tournament, which will feature six teams, starts on January 30th and runs until February 11th, with the final likely to be played at the Kensington Oval, the island’s Test match venue.

The six teams – hosts West Indies, Australia, England, USA, Rest of the Americas and Rest of the World – will play in a round-robin tournament, with the top two teams meeting in the final.

Colin, who will be vice-captain of the Suffolk Over-60s side this season and is a member of Sudbury CC, was asked to manage the side after fulfilling the same role at last year’s Over-60s World Cup in Australia.

He said: “Following the successful ROTW foray into the World Cup in Australia, the ROTW team has become an ongoing entity with a view to getting a team for the next World Cup in Chennai in India in February 2024.

“The plan is to expand Seniors’ cricket globally, so aiming to include more and more players from countries that cannot raise sufficient numbers or strength to compete at a World Cup in their own right.

“That includes the likes of Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Denmark, Kenya, Bermuda and UAE amongst others.”

Colin said his role as team manager involved not only getting the team together but also organising with an agent to get flights and accommodation and organising kit.

He will also be liaising with the tour organisers and organising events whilst away for the players, several of whose partners will be joining them on the trip.

Colin said: “It’s very hard work but very rewarding. This is the fifth overseas tour/tournament I’ve been involved in.

“I previously organised tournaments in the UAE, Sri Lanka and Kenya together with the ROTW World Cup team. That latter team/tour was amongst the happiest touring parties I’ve ever been involved with – there was some fabulous feedback, and we made some friends for life.”

Colin is pictured above with John Courtney, captain of the Rest of the World team, at last year’s World Cup in Australia. John, who plays for Gloucestershire Over-60s, represented Suffolk Schools while he was a student.

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