As part of a growing collaboration between WA Cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC)and Indonesia Cricket (PCI), key representatives from the budding cricketing nation paid a visit to Perth in early December.
Indonesian Cricket Visits Perth
A series of meetings took place over three days at the WACA Ground, with planning underway for several collaborations between the three organisations over the next three years.
The visit included tours of the WACA Ground Improvement Project and Optus Stadium, including a behind the scenes look at the preparation of the centre wicket with Turf Manager Nathan Saville, and an introduction to WA Cricket Chief Executive Officer John Stephenson.
The visit to Optus Stadium and in-depth view of one of the best pitches in world cricket was considered a key focus during Indonesian Cricket’s stay in Perth, with facility development an important part of the island nation’s push to becoming a cricketing powerhouse.
Coach and Umpire Development, Pathway Enhancement, High Performance and Elite Team Preparation, Mental Skills and SSM programming and tournament preparation were all key items during planning meetings, as WA Cricket supports Indonesian Cricket as it looks to forge a path to become a top ten team nation in the International T20 rankings within three years.
Additional planning meetings were held with the ICC focusing on coach accreditation, development and pathways over the next three years
Earlier this year, WA Women’s and Perth Scorchers WBBL Head Coach Becky Grundy and General Manager - High Performance and Elite Teams Kade Harvey spent some time with the Indonesian Cricket Female program in Bali, under the inaugural Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations.
The initial 18-month period focuses on female development, with a plan to develop similar initiatives for young male players and their coaches in the future.
The collaboration with Indonesian Cricket has paid immediate dividends for WA Cricket and Perth Scorchers, with Indonesian Cricketer Ni Made Putri (Tori) Suwandewi becoming the first player from the island nation to sign on as an Associate Rookie in the Weber Women’s Big Bash League.
An initial visit to the site of the potential new Indonesian Cricket facility site by WA Cricket is planned for February 2025. Several WA Cricket High Performance staff will then visit Bali in partnership with the ICC to deliver a range of workshops in May 2025. In August 2025 the Indonesian female squad, coaches and manager will visit WA Cricket and participate in a training camp on their way to a World Cup Qualifying tournament in Fiji.
“WA Cricket was thrilled to be able to host representatives from Indonesian Cricket and the International Cricket Council here, and I think the time they spent here in Perth and the discussions that took place were really beneficial as we plan for the future of this collaboration,” Kade Harvey said.
“The first visit to their headquarters in Bali earlier in the year was very beneficial and it was clear from when we arrived that their programs are filled with naturally talented cricketers and a dedicated staff group, so as an organisation we want to do all we can to support them in their journey to becoming a strong cricketing nation.
“To be able to offer Tori her first WBBL contract for the Scorchers was really pleasing, and hopefully our relationship with Indonesian Cricket means we get to see more of their athletes receive the same opportunity in the future.”