“Our ultimate goal is to get kids in the Mini Cricket program to play for the men and women Proteas,” said Cricket South Africa’s Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith, in his interview with Cricket Fanatics Magazine on the sidelines of the KFC Mini National Seminar. 

The objective of the KFC Mini Cricket program, Smith explained, was to expose young children to cricket. Given the Mini Cricket program is forty years old, Smith also shared his memories of interacting with young children across South Africa.

“We used to go out and spend time with kids across the country. The energy, the excitement is great. The way they see their eyes open up is fantastic,” reflected Smith. 

Equally important to the KFC Mini Cricket program is the role of coaches, who are integral to introducing kids to cricket.

“They’re not just coaches, they’re mentors in their lives.” Having listened to the stories shared by coaches at the seminar, Smith said, “Those stories are hopefully future stories that will enhance this program.” 

KFC has sponsored the Mini Cricket program for twelve years. The money from this partnership is invested in grassroots programs that help develop cricket in South Africa, and the ways in which these programs are delivered are constantly being reflected upon.

“We heard in there that one of the challenges that coaches face is moving from soft ball to hard ball. We’ve got to relook at some of that. Restructure the high-performance system, pipeline, the way selection works.”