(CricketEurope) I suppose it's best to start off by asking you where cricket in currently played in South Korea?

(Shane Kennedy) The Korea Cricket Association (KCA) is based in Seoul. However, with limited recreation facilities in Seoul big enough and suitable for cricket the main domestic competition is played south of Seoul in Suwon about a 40 minute drive from downtown Seoul. A new ground used in 2009 for the inaugural KCA Cricket Sixes is located in Siheung City, again south of Seoul.

(CricketEurope) And how many teams participate in the main domestic competition?

(Shane Kennedy) In 2009 there were 10 teams playing in the KCA Adidas League Cup. The ten teams have players from South Korea, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, America and England.

(CricketEurope) Of course, it's early days for cricket in your country but do you already have home grown Koreans playing the game?

(Shane Kennedy) Yes, in the main domestic competition we have one sole South Korean cricket club based at Sungkyunkwan University (Suwon) and other teams in the competition have South Korean players in their clubs.

(CricketEurope) And is there interest from Korean Universities, like there is Japan?

(Shane Kennedy) The home of cricket, if you like, is based at Sungkyunkwan University (Suwon) where the sole cricket training facility is. A cricket net was constructed in 2007 and reconstructed in 2009 into a two-lane concrete based facility. In November, the KCA conducted an introduction to cricket session at Donguk University in Seoul and other universities are showing interest for further exposure in 2010.

(CricketEurope) I know it's difficult in every country that is launching cricket from scratch, but how advanced is your junior development program and what are some of the initiatives taking place in this regard?

(Shane Kennedy) Junior development is really starting to take off with some interesting initiatives starting in 2010. Currently the KCA runs a junior coaching program at Seoul Foreign School every school semester. These programs run for 8 weeks and cover skill development and modified game play. Throughout 2008/09 there have been several one off introduction to cricket sessions at both Korean and foreign schools with the latest junior program being held on the island of Jeju, the southern most part of South Korea. This ‘have a go’ type experience was run at a cultural language event that had approximately 5000 visitors. In 2010 new programs will begin at a Korean sports academy incorporating English language skills with cricket. In addition, it is planned to approach two more foreign based schools in Seoul and Suwon to initiate new programs there. The major goal of all this effort and exposure is to gain enough interest to start junior competitions between schools and to grow people into the game of cricket and become real passionate cricket lovers just as I did when I was a youngster.

(CricketEurope) So, it sounds like you guys are well on target to field a national side in the 2011 East Asia-Pacific Trophy?

(Shane Kennedy) Well, it is a goal of ours to achieve. By setting in place a National Selection Policy and training camps for a national squad over the next year we hope to have a squad capable of performing to the standard of cricket in the EAP region. Further exposure playing on tours to neighboring countries such as Japan or even India are planned to help raise confidence in such international fixtures.

(CricketEurope) Do you intend to field national sides that are all expat based in the beginning or perhaps a 3 expat/11 homegrown squad mix like Japan does?

(Shane Kennedy) We would look at including expat based players as the ICC regulations allow. There are a number of foreigners that are now Korean Nationals and I believe this would strengthen the squad. But of course the aim is to have as many homegrown Koreans having opportunities to play internationally. I think by including the knowledge and skill base some expats offer can only increase the skills and knowledge of the homegrown players as long as the right mix can be found.

(CricketEurope) I can imagine that the locals who do play the sport are extremely dedicated?

(Shane Kennedy) To be honest, yes and no. We have a strong base of Korean players that have been playing here for some years but unfortunately here in South Korea Korean men have to complete 2 years of compulsory military service. Usually they complete this half way through their university study. So, we get a lot of players getting into cricket for two years then when they leave for the army they lose interest which is a real problem and something which is unavoidable. The sole Korean based cricket club trains regularly throughout the university semesters, two to three times a week but unfortunately our playing time is limited due to ground availability and players individual work/study schedules. So these are definitely issues we need to overcome in order to keep player interest high, obviously the more games you are able to play the keener and eager to play you become.

(CricketEurope) Who are some of the players that we should look out for in the next few years?

(Shane Kennedy) Two regulars and stalwarts if you like of Korean cricket are Lee HwaYeon and Yang HeeYoon (both KCA committee members and keen coaches too). They both are passionate about the game and lead by example. Ex-team mates they are now on separate teams and this kind of friendly rivalry is beginning to spark more interest in the game. Two other players which I personally hope continue to play are fast bowlers Kim ByungKoo and left armer Kim HyongTae, both show natural talent and with some dedicated training could trouble any top order in our region in the future. All rounder’s Lee HwanHee and Lee KyoungTae are also two that have impressive all round skills but unfortunately study and work commits have limited their participation in 2009. A positive aspect of all the current local players is their eagerness in the field and great throwing arms which I think is a direct influence from their early days playing baseball as it is a very popular sport here in South Korea.

(CricketEurope) So on to future plans. What are the key initiatives that you want to implement in say, the next five years?

(Shane Kennedy) In terms of our Operational Plan, our vision statement clearly states that the KCA ‘aims to have South Korean teams playing international cricket with a wider local competition base providing participation opportunities for all and achieving excellence on the international stage’. In doing this we have specific goals targeted for years to come. A major goal is the establishment of National Selection Policies in order to identify and nurture talent through training camps targeting elite players. Moving into 2011 the KCA would like to see a National Men’s team at the ICC-EAP Cricket Trophy and to do this having elite players targeted and attending ICC-EAP High Performance clinics will go a long way. In saying all this, the key is to widen our local competition base and heading into 2010 we are already doing this with a new league commencing in southern South Korea and targeting junior development through participation and opportunities for junior competitions to get a realistic number of South Korean youngsters hooked on cricket.

(CricketEurope) I know in countries where baseball and soccer are popular, it can be difficult finding grounds large enough to play cricket. Do you have any specialist cricket grounds in South Korea?

(Shane Kennedy) You are spot on in regards to the difficulty of finding grounds and more importantly grounds that are easily accessible to all in South Korea. Korea is definitely a soccer and baseball dominated sporting country. Currently there is no ‘specialist’ cricket ground but we have two multipurpose grounds that we have access to that are shared with soccer and baseball. Something that is encouraging is the inclusion of cricket in the 2010 Asian Games in China. If we can gain government support here in South Korea to host a similar tournament for the 2014 Asian Games in Inchon, South Korea then I would imagine a specialized ground would be a necessity. So who knows in the next five years we may see a specialized cricket ground being built if cricket is accepted into the 2014 event and supported by local government.

(CricketEurope) And is it possible to receive Government support for a game like cricket in South Korea, or is that just not part of the sporting culture?

(Shane Kennedy) The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) recently approached the ICC in regards to the KCA’s global recognition by the ICC. It seems now they are willing to get on board with cricket as there is currently no affiliation of the Korea Cricket Association with the KOC. We are formally approaching the KOC for recognition on a local basis and hopefully this becomes a more supportive and strong partnership especially looking at the aim of the 2014 Asian Games.

(CricketEurope) So let's say, you future initiatives go to plan in the next five years. Where would you like to see South Korean cricket positioned in the global scheme of things?

(Shane Kennedy) Well, ideally we have a team playing in the 2014 Asian Games cricket tournament as host country and there are specialized cricket facilities that post-Asian Games can be utilized to launch the popularity and strength of the game in South Korea. That would be a huge achievement and something worth striving towards. In being able to do this I would hope we could climb up the ICC-EAP rankings and be close to challenging for World Cup Divisional qualifying spots, although this may be a longer term goal. Locally, we would like to have junior competitions that see progression through age group teams and a path towards national selection in both men’s and women’s cricket. I would think local government support, full-time staffing and one if not more specialized grounds would be key targets to help achieve these dreams globally.

(CricketEurope) Finally, It might be a while off but the idea of a cricketing rivalry between South Korea, China and Japan is appealing, at least to an outsider like me. Japan has the head start off course but China is moving at pace now. Is it possible that the three countries could play regular matches against one another taking into account historical and political differences?

(Shane Kennedy) Definitely! We here in South Korea very much welcome that type of competition. For several years now the KCA has travelled to Japan on tour. The JCA (Japan Cricket Association) have been tremendously generous hosts and supporters of cricket in South Korea and we are very thankful to them for allowing the Korean players to have those opportunities. Recently at the 2009 ICC Centenary Conference in London, KCA delegates met with others from China and there were some discussions about a tri-angular series between the three countries in the future. So definitely the future looks bright for such competition amongst Japan, China and South Korea.

That's wonderful news! Thanks for the interview Shane and best of luck with cricket in South Korea is the future.