Coach Waldron On A Mission Toward Success
[Written by Patrick Bean]
Cal Waldron is a man on a quest to aid in taking Bermuda to a place at the top of the world… the cricketing world that is.
Waldron, as a lead member of the back-room staff, represents a key element in the Bermuda team’s foreign missions to the United States’ and Argentina, where much is not only expected, but required.
First up is a visit to the ‘Sunshine State’ for participation in the President Cup, featuring top Cricket Council USA [CCUSA] franchise members, which will serve as a warm-up exercise ahead of the more consequential 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas sub-regional qualifier in South America against national teams from Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Islands, Panama and hosts Argentina.
A top three placing at the sub-regional would enable the Island to act as participating presenters of the regional qualifier in the fall, where one spot will be available for guaranteed entry into the finals, set to be co-hosted by the United States and West Indies.
For Waldron the tour marks another stage in the progression from on-field talent to sideline guide, influencer and strategist. He will operate in a dual capacity on the tour, deputising as head coach in the expected absence of Niraj Odedra on the first leg, before stepping back into the role of assistant coach when the team reaches further south.
Waldron’s cricket journey has been a developmental textbook version of what one might hope to see occur within sports.
From a precocious, eager youngster with untapped skill and potential, to a senior player of competence and further on to instructor, with admistrative capacity, Waldron has been a model of that which hard work, dedication and commitment to teamwork can produce.
“I got into cricket from primary school, during a time when the Shell Youth League was prevelant and carried played through high school,” said Waldron of his early introduction to cricket, while not disguising that his first love was, actually, football. “It was more something to do during the summer to keep in shape for football, which was my first sport, but, later on, I really fell in love with cricket.
“It was a mental thing with cricket, where I really enjoyed the challenge to have to think more.
“With football it was more a physical game back then, while cricket was more of a thinking game, that kept my mind sharp.
“I was always thinking of how I could outsmart the batsmen as a bowler and how I could score runs as a batsman.”
From earlier times at Purvis Primary School, Warwick Secondary School, Warwick Workmen’s Club and PHC, Waldron emerged as a bowling all-rounder of note, before moving from the field to his current positions among back room staffs at both club and national levels.
“I love the challenge,” said Waldron, a father of three and longtime employee at Works and Engineering, where he occupies a management position. “I grew into bowling. Learning how to move the ball with simple finger movements, particularly with red-ball cricket.
“It’s phenomenal cricket what you can learn and do with that format in being able to set up and out-think a batsman by focussing on bowling in a particular area. I watched Glenn McGrath bowl all day for Australia, putting the ball in the same position and then get one to move away and get the wicket, that kind of stuff I enjoy.”
While Waldron voiced great appreciation for the time that open cricket — red-ball — ruled and the limited overs format –white-ball — was viewed as a hinderance to the development of sound technique, he has made the adjustment to the strategies demanded by the shorter versions of the game.
While guile remains integral to a player’s success, patience and orthodoxy have been replaced by the ability to perform with rapidity and manners unconventional, with both bat and ball.
Under the expeditious T20 format, in which Bermuda is engaged for the upcoming tours, bowlers have to almost always bowl more defensively, as not conceding runs is more important than taking wickets, whereas batters can be more aggressive from the start, and boundaries are more frequent.
“I grew up under coaches that were more physical in their approach, along with the technical,” said Waldron, who is more than willing to distribute the knowledge garnered over many decades to the modern-day players he is now charged with leading. “l studied the game off the field, while, at the same time, learning a lot on the field, understanding that if a player doesn’t have the knowledge to help them through it, then you have to impart on them your understanding, in that they may gain the knowledge that will aid their success.
“I always put my teaching in the perspective of what the player wants to do, what he is hoping to as far as ball placement and positioning. Where do you want to hit the ball as a batsman and what position one needs to be in to do that or how to bowl dot balls and be able to keep the runs down, without trying to do too much and straying from the objective as a bowler.”
Viewed as Bermuda’s coach-in-waiting Waldron remains a student, continuing to strive for increased knowledge through various coaching certificate courses, as well as tapping into Indian coach Odedra’s wealth of knowledge and experience.
“With Niraj it’s been an interesting journey,” said Waldron. “He’s a very knowledgeable guy, who has a wealth of knowledge about cricket and life in general.
“So, it’s like, I’m sucking up the information. Whether it’s in the cards or not, I did not take up the coaching courses because I wanted to coach Bermuda. I took on the coaching courses to gain the knowledge in order to help those that I’ve come through with and those that I’m with now.
“The opportunity came. I took it and I’m learning in it as well, So, if it leads that way, that’s a conversation I’ll have with the Board, but I’m more than willing to pass on the knowledge that I have and assist in whatever way is suitable.”
Yet, prior to any such future endeavours and possibilities, there is the matter of the current tasks across the Atlantic and on the Pacific border.
