Twenty-eight students have been officially welcomed to the 2002 programme of the Shell Cricket Academy of St. George's University.

President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Reverend Wes Hall was among those who participated in the welcome ceremony on Thursday (May 16) at the True Blue campus of St. Georges University, Grenada. He told the young cricketers from the Caribbean and the Americas that hard work and not talent would determine how successful they were.

Grenada's Minister of Tourism Hon. Brenda Hood who also joined in welcoming the students, pledged the full support of her government, and noted that her ministry is on a mission to form more strategic links between sport and tourism.

External Affairs Manager of Shell, Roger Brathwaite, and St. George's University Dean, Dr. Allen Pensick also addressed the new recruits to the prestigious three-month programme that is a joint venture by the West Indies Cricket Board, Shell Antilles and Guianas Ltd and St. Georges University.

Following the ceremony, Director of the Shell Cricket Academy, Dr. Rudi Webster gave the students an outline of the programme and Rev. Wes Hall gave a master class on fast bowling and West Indies cricket history.

The members of the 2002 class come from a number of different parts of the Caribbean and the Americas. The nations represented include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States of America. The Academy runs from May 16th to August 8th.

© CricInfo