Ovens Valley United Cricket Club – Selection Policy
Values Underpinning the Selection Policy
Ovens Valley United Cricket Club (OVUCC) strives to provide OVUCC club cricketers of all backgrounds and abilities with an enjoyable and competitive cricketing experience, providing opportunities for continual improvement in the playing standards of both individuals and teams.
OVUCC strives for on-field success and requires players to make the most of their cricketing abilities by training seriously, sharing knowledge and skills, coaching and leading club-mates, and playing with courage and teamwork.
- OVUCC encourages the development of youth and actively seeks to provide opportunities for younger players to participate in the higher grades of cricket at the club.
- OVUCC values on-field success, sporting enjoyment, sportsmanship and camaraderie equally. In order to be considered for selection, players must be prepared to accept this philosophy. Players must aspire to the high standards of behaviour, sportsmanship, and mateship.
- The club values members who are contributors to the wider life of the club. At selection, two players of equal ability can be separated by their observance of this criterion.
- The selection committee shall aim to give players promoted from a lower grade sufficient time to develop/play in the higher grade. (See Guidelines for Captains)
The Selectors
The selection sub-committee is to consist of:
∙ The Club Coach
∙ One Club Committee Representative
∙ Division A, A Reserve and B grade captains.
Voting
Team selection will be conducted in the Committee Room following Thursday night training sessions.
Each member of the selection sub-committee shall have one vote on selection.
If an even number of the selection sub-committee are present at selection then the Chairman of Selectors will hold the casting vote.
Eligibility to Play
To be eligible for selection players must attend training at least once a week unless they have a valid reason which must be conveyed to the selection sub-committee.
Players who make themselves unavailable for games must be aware that they may be asked to return to playing through a lower division and then perform to a satisfactory standard to earn their place back in their original division.
When selecting players of similar performance, players who display greater commitment to the club (judged by attendance at club social functions, club working bees and the like) shall be given preference.
Two day games - Subject to player numbers, captains should aim to select players that are available for both playing days. Selecting players available for only one day of a two day game is strongly discouraged.
Junior players – Playing senior cricket
The club recognises this can be important in junior player’s development and also to assist the club with senior teams when player numbers can be low.
When considering junior cricketers for senior teams the following aspects to be considered;
- Willingness of junior cricketers wanting to play and experience senior cricket
- Skills and performances of junior cricketers are at a standard to play senior cricket in conjunction with junior coaches - child safety is paramount
- Consent of parent/guardians to play senior cricket
- Travel distances and times between junior and senior games
- Juniors in older age groups be given priority for opportunity (ie under 16’s, 14s, 12’s)
- Amount of cricket the junior cricketer is playing and training (rep cricket/carnivals) awareness of potential over playing or burnout is considered especially with potential hot weather.
Selection Priorities
Whilst impossible to list all factors, team selection will be influenced by the following considerations:
- Teams will be selected in priority from 1st XI through to the final XI
- Team balance - Player’s past performance - Player’s training performance
- Player’s training attendance week.
- The more training attendance the increased bias towards selection.
- Player’s game-day effort and attitude
- Player’s training effort and attitude
- Player’s overall season availability
- Player’s future potential
- The opposition
The selection committee will endeavor to follow these guidelines with selection of players, however in incidences when teams are short of players at late notice, club captains will do their best to ensure all teams have the required number of players. Any last minute replacements will then be discussed at the next selection meeting.
Guidelines for Captains
- It is preferred that a promotion to a higher grade will involve the promoted player being given an opportunity to perform in the aspect of the game for which he was promoted.
- For example:
- An upper order batsman who is promoted based on good batting performance, should be given the opportunity to bat in the upper or middle order in the higher grade.
- A person promoted because of their bowling should be given the ball and provided with enough overs to test those skills at the higher level.
- Cricketers need to play cricket. In the lower grades giving all players an opportunity to be involved in the game is a priority. Batting and bowling should not be shared amongst just the most able players.
- In all grades it is a risk for a Captain to underplay certain players favouring just the most able cricketers. In finals it is invariably the whole team that needs to contribute. Players cannot be “in-form” in finals if they have had only minimal opportunities to bat or bowl during the home and away season.
- The second innings of a game that is already won is a prime time to reorganise batting and bowling orders so that players get valuable time in the centre.
- Captains are encouraged to show faith in their teammates and to be creative and attacking in their use of part-time bowlers, pinch hitters and dour competitors who can dig in when required.
- Younger cricketers should be strongly nurtured and encouraged. They should be given ample opportunities to perform and improve. They should also be taught the etiquette of the game.
- The Captain is responsible for the demeanour and behaviour of his players. It is expected that players representing OVUCC will carry themselves in accordance with the guidelines.
