Mike Young calls for change in USA cricket

Mike Young, the assistant coach of Deccan Chargers and USA's most successful cricketing export, has said he believes cricket can become 'extremely successful' in his homeland if the current administration could 'embrace change'.

USA has very little to boast about on the international cricket stage, having won just a single game at the World Twenty20 qualifiers but in Young they have someone who belongs to cricket's most elite circles. A former baseball coach, Young became Australia's fielding coach under Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting before doing a stint alongside Gary Kirsten with India and is now with the Deccan Chargers at the IPL.

Despite his success abroad, he keeps a close eye on developments back in USA. "What most people involved in cricket in the USA don't know is that I've followed the progress very closely. The difficulties have been there for many years but I have always believed, and still do, that cricket in the USA can become extremely successful quickly," he told On Drive.

Lalit Modi has publicly stated his ambitions to take the IPL to USA and, before his financial empire crumbled, Alan Stanford was very keen on taking the shorter form to America. Young too believes Twenty20 can draw fans to the game in the USA but feels better coaching infrastructure is pivotal to generating sustained development of the game.

"With the surge in interest for Twenty20 exploding worldwide, my belief has increased many times over. It will only happen, though, through the implementation of creative and futuristic coaching programs and leadership. With all due respect to those hard working coaches in the USA at present, they are not in the position to take the sport to the next level. This is no fault of their own it's just a lack of professional background and resources. The bottom line is if the USACA [USA Cricket Association] truly wants to have an impact on the world scene and wants to grow its label in the USA, then it needs outside professional input in order to do so."

Despite coaching at the highest level for many years, Young would welcome an opportunity to help with USA cricket and feels he has plenty to offer. "My heartfelt passion has been and still is cricket in the USA. If the opportunity comes up to be involved in some capacity within the USACA, I will be very interested. I sincerely believe that my upbringing in the USA [ in Chicago] and my background in professional baseball puts me in a very unique position both culturally and from a sport's perspective in order to do so."

For that to happen, however, he said there need to be a change of approach from the USACA. "The future for the USACA can be exceptionally bright but only if the willingness is there from their end to embrace change and accept the challenges with a positive and proactive mindset."