France: Richie Benaud reports on the announcement of the French national team

France has nominated a strong squad for the ICC Trophy in Canada and two of the more interesting inclusions have only 30 years between them.

Arun Ayyavooraju who had his 15th birthday three days after his selection is a very good young cricketer and alongside him is another allrounder, Sulanga Richmond who was 16 when the selectors added him to a group of experienced players. I watched both youngsters play on Sunday April 29 in a match at the delightful Thoiry ground in Paris where Britain's Channel 4 television filmed an exhibition of Kwik Cricket and then an under 17 match between two good teams. Each of the young players mentioned performed extremely well and Arun was the Player of the Match.

There have been many occasions years ago, where I have played cricket in difficult circumstances with selection hinging on the results, but what France Cricket did the following weekend in the final Trial for Canada, was something where they gain top marks for innovation. The original trials were scheduled for Luxembourg at the Grand Duchy's pretty riverside ground in Walferdange. They had to be called off after a May Day flood warning.

With the pitch and outfield a quagmire and the net area under water, France, desperate to finalize their ICC squad, sent out an SOS to Kent, Essex and Belgium in a frantic last-minute bid to arrange their first taste of outdoor cricket in 2001.

It was a fantastic effort from the Belgian Cricket Federation and their dedicated Chairman Ken Farmiloe to come to France's rescue and at just three days' notice, the Belgians organised magnificently, offering France the use of the bucolic Reet ground of Antwerp CC for both middle practice and a 40-over game against a hastily assembled Belgium League XI. Brian Rouse, the Luxembourg-based Chairman of the Belgo-Lux Umpires' Association provided a two experienced official umpires for the occasion.

France coach Bobby Parks used the game as a testing ground for the handful of players still competing for the remaining selection places. The pitch and the outfield dried out amazingly fast under a timid sun and a galeforce wind and a tense, low-scoring contest ensued with France winning.

After a final, chilly, early Sunday morning practice session France announced their ICC Trophy squad which reads as follows:

Simon Hewitt (Chauny), captain, allrounder, 39, caps 97
Carl Igolen (Hertford), vice-captain, wicketkeeper-batsman, 27, caps 19
Linton Alexander (Northern), allrounder, 30, caps 20
Arun Ayyavooraju (Evry), allrounder, 15, caps 1
David Bordes (St-Astier), batsman, 26, caps 44
Guy Brumant (Olympique Guadeloupe), allrounder, 41, caps 74
Val Brumant (Paris Université), fast bowler, 39, caps 54
Pascal Culverhouse (St Albans), allrounder, 22, caps 6
Georges James (SAC Meudon), batsman, 23, caps 24
Sujeewa Mahavidanage (Chauny), allrounder, 34, caps 29
Philip Martin (Cabris), allrounder, 38, caps 15
Thierry Pascal (Cabris), batsman, 31, caps 10
Sulanga Richmond (Evry), allrounder, 16, caps 11
Paul Wakefield (Thoiry), batsman, 44,  caps 21

There is plenty of experience in the team as well as the young players mentioned above, a selection typical of the way France is trying to provide opportunities for its young sportspeople. Canada beckons, and will be very exciting.