\u201cThe whole idea is taking young players, 11 or 12 years old, through to representative and professional environments.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cricket Whanganui general manager Pete Bowman<\/a> said youth cricket in the district had \u201ca really solid base\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got an opportunity for Debu to use his 20-plus years of experience in this space,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s delivered everything from youth to representative cricket<\/a>, and has been involved in developing the likes of Tom Bruce, Will Young [Black Caps] and Kate Ebrahim [White Ferns].<\/p>\n \u201cDebu brings a plethora of connections, not just in Central Districts but the wider cricket community.\u201d<\/p>\n Banik arrived in Taranaki<\/a> in 2003, starting as a professional player before becoming head coach of the Taranaki men\u2019s team and the Shrimpton Trophy women\u2019s side.<\/p>\n He also spent 10 years developing Francis Douglas Memorial College\u2019s cricket programmes and was involved in the Central Hinds coaching set-up.<\/p>\n \u201cConnectivity is a huge part of the role and, rather than sitting in the office and looking at a screen, we\u2019ll be putting Cricket Whanganui out there and letting people know we are there for them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the background, you\u2019re doing your homework, but you\u2019re also meeting with schools, clubs, and other organisations.\u201d<\/p>\n Banik takes over from director of coaching<\/a> Greg Smith and female development officer Verity Johnson, who had a three-year stint in Whanganui from Berkshire, United Kingdom.<\/p>\n Whanganui senior men\u2019s coach Warren Marr said he had known Banik for a long time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve coached together, been at conferences together and had a few beers together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure we\u2019ll complement each other well.\u201d<\/p>\n AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n Marr said the senior men\u2019s side had a good season in 2024\/25, including victories over Taranaki<\/a> and Horowhenua and the \u201cgame of the year\u201d against Nelson, which Whanganui lost by one run.<\/p>\n \u201cI was pretty pleased, we finished where we hoped we would finish.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll miss Greg\u2019s [Smith] leadership, but young Shaun O\u2019Leary is stepping up as captain this year.\u201d<\/p>\n Bowman said work was ongoing to improve the standard of cricket in the district.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, we played from October to April, which is the most in the last five to 10 years.<\/p>\n \u201cI think people are starting to respect us again for what we deliver, pound for pound, within the region.\u201d<\/p>\n