Player Profile Greg Maybury

It seems only yesterday that Greg Maybury was awarded a Bermuda Cricket Board and Bank of Bermuda Foundation scholarship to study and play cricket in England.

In fact, that was almost five years ago to the day, and look where he is now. The Bermuda national team member is getting ready to play for his country in the vitally important ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament next week, is a bona fide Cup Match star, and at the tender age of 19 is already a role model to the next generation.

Maybury is just one of several players in the squad including Stephen Outerbridge and Jekon Edness that have benefitted from BCB and corporate support as they furthered their academic and cricket education abroad. As he prepares to help his team try to regain its high performance status, Greg sat down and chatted with the BCB about what the past five years have meant to him, as a cricketer, and as a person.

It's five years since you sat in a press conference and it was announced that you were heading to Oakham. What are your recollections of that day?

Being a bit nervous actually! I'd had a few interviews at that point but being the centre of a press conference was completely new.

Does it take you by surprise when you think how quickly the time seems to have passed?

It certainly does. I vividly remember being the new kid at Oakham, arriving in the middle of the year to a brand new culture, school and overall environment. And suddenly it's been a year since my time there finished.

What's the one piece of advice you'd give your 12-year-old self?

My advice would be largely technical. I've always had the willingness to play hard and perform at my best. So I'd try my hardest to relay the experiences I've gained because they've really changed the way I look at the game. What sticks out is I genuinely believed I bowled full enough as a swing bowler back then and a few seasons on, I realized how far off I was. As soon as I was willing to be driven in England, I took ten more wickets in a season and improved my average by over ten runs.

You said at the time that you wanted to succeed for the people coming behind. That's quite a statement for a 12-year-old. How do you think you've done with that?

The way I see it, all you have is a turn in sport. I'm doing my best to make the most of the opportunities I have because there's not such a large window for the time you have for improving. If I have been able to encourage a few younger players through the way I've trained and played that will certainly be part of it. Specifically at Oakham, I received the best bowler award for a few seasons in a row, I was nominated for best all-rounder occasionally and even won the overall best athlete prize in my 5th Form year. I'd like to think the school would jump at their next chance at having a Bermudian sportsman. In terms of truly measuring my success, it's not over. My judgment on how well I've done will be something I'll be able to see later in my career, when I have plenty more knowledge to pass on to those I'm playing with or maybe coaching.

What has that opportunity meant to you? What has the support you've received from family, the Board, the community meant to you?

The opportunity is priceless, There are countless lessons I've learned about my game just through playing constantly in foreign conditions and probably just as many life lessons from having to manage myself and have such independence from age 14.

I can't really put my family's support into words. They've travelled to as many places as I have for my cricket; from Trinidad to England and of course the U19 World Cup in Malaysia, 2008. Usually I'll find congratulations on a good performance on my phone or computer before I even get a chance to tell them because they're following online or however they can. That's what made Cup Match so special for me. I just wanted to celebrate with all of them and show my thanks for all their support in what I've been doing so far.

Of course I have to thank the community, specifically the BCB and the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, to even have the chance to take my game further in all the places I mentioned. Those who follow cricket will know different countries bring about different conditions which usually require slightly altered techniques. It's hard to argue you have all of these mastered until you first have all of the experiences necessary.

You said at the time that you wanted to succeed for the people coming behind. That's quite a statement for a 12-year-old. How do you think you've done with that?

What would you say to the younger cricketers looking at going to England today?

It's an opportunity any cricketer should take. Kamau and I were having a conversation the other day in training about what we thought we knew before we played in England. Of course I was a bit nervous leaving home at 14, but I had no real doubts about it being the right thing to do.

You're breaking in to the national team, as part of a group of young cricketers (Kamau, Delray, Tre, Terryn) who have all been abroad, along with Rodney, Stephen, Jekon, Stefan, who went before. How important is the support the Board receives for the development of the Island's cricketers to the team's future.

From what I can tell, the major difference between our local players and ones abroad is the amount of quality training and matches they are exposed to. The more the BCB is supported, the more we can have players benefitting from the same or similar experiences to the world's top cricketers whether this be in other countries or improving the cricket structure and facilities at home.

Bermuda Cricket Board is passionate about supporting our young players and giving them the opportunity to further their education abroad. If you'd like to discuss how you can help the next generation of stars, contact the BCB at or 295 8958.