October 19th 2010
Improvising with no kit
At long last it was time for the Botswana nine to set off back to Gaborone full of expectation and enthusiasm following such a successful 2009 project. After Johannesburg baggage handlers and Botswana Customs had decided to withold most of our cricketing equipment last year, we were taking no chances this time round. All the paperwork was in order, all the authorities had been spoken to and all the rubber stamps had been issued. By 12 noon on Sunday 17th Ocotber we had 1, just 1 tennis ball to our name! Once more all of our cricket bags were impounded at Customs…happy days! Good start…..team leader must try harder! Four cricket bags down and Adrian’s bag somewhere between London and Nairobi, things had to get better!
The 2010 Botswana team
This false optimism was soon reduced further when we were informed by the BCA (Botswana Cricket Authority) that the teachers, who we were due to train this fortnight, were on strike- the first time in Botswana history! Oh…and that meant that alot of the children might not be at the schools for us to coach either!! The 12 months of planning were left in the bin outside Gaborone airport – back to the drawing board! The gloom disappeared as we returned to the Gaborone Cricket Club to meet up with our old friends from 2009. Rather than worry about the predicament we were now in with 2 weeks of work ahead of us with no equipment and no pupils, we remembered that we were in Africa and that improvisation was the only skill we really required- well, that was the argument I used with the rest of the team; I dont think they bought it for one minute! Not a vintage start to the fortnight but things can only get better……cant they??!!
Will McLaren-Clark (team leader and the one who takes the blame – yet again)