The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) on March 14 would launch the historic Shimron and Nirvani Hetmyer Berbice Cricket Development Trust Fund at the St. Francis Community Developers Training Center.
The Trust Fund is the first of its kind to be launched in the Ancient County and represents the largest-ever financial donation by a cricketer to the BCB, since its formation in 1939.
The Hetmyers agreed to the formation of the Fund after reviewing a comprehensive proposal from BCB President Hilbert Foster. Shimron Hetmyer, the Guyana and West Indies middle-order batsman, had requested the President to submit the document after they had discussed the idea.
Foster explained that under the Trust Fund, the BCB would assist clubs across the county with $700,000 worth of cricket balls, while $200,000 would be given to a cricketer attending the University of Guyana.
According to the BCB, the cricketer must be living in the Canje/New Amsterdam or East Berbice Canje sub area. In the event that a suitable candidate is not found, the funds would be equally divided among four cricketers attending secondary school and preparing to write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations.
The remaining $100,000 would be used to reward the Most Valuable Players of the four Inter-county tournaments that Berbice is expected to play in 2021.
The MVP of the Under-15, Under-17, Under-19 and Female tournament would each receive $25,000 each. The couple has made it quite clear that the sponsorship would continue for the duration of the current President’s term of office.
Hetmyer, who led West Indies to Under -19 World Cup glory in 2016, has been very supportive to the Foster-led administration over the last three years, assisting with funds for the BCB/RHTYSC Christmas Charity Programmes, BCB Intermediate tournament and funds for the hosting of two grassroot one-day cricket tournaments at the Rose Hall Canje and Young Warriors Grounds.
Foster expressed gratitude to the couple for their support and stated that with assistance, Berbice cricket would continue to expand as the board strives to take the county game to its highest level ever.
He stated that his objective is to make the county the role model in Caribbean Cricket and to make sure that every cricketer in the county fulfills his or he full potential on the cricket field and in the classroom.
Hetmyer, who has represented West Indies in 16 Test matches and 45 ODI matches, stated that he was very impressed with the Foster-led administration’s leadership of Berbice cricket and was delighted to assist.
