THE Zambia Cricket Union (ZCU) will soon roll out its manpower development programme, starting with the training of development officers.

Once equipped with necessary skills, the cricket development officers would be deployed around the country to help raise the current standards of the sport.

ZCU president Reuben Chama said that the union had lagged behind when it came to management issues among the development officers and that it was time to turn things around.

The union has already started training some officials with last month's one-day management and administration seminar at Nkana's cricket club in Kitwe being the highlight.

Chama said ZCU had observed that most officers lagged in various aspects of management and that it was the union's duty to equip its employees with necessary information concerning the growth of cricket.

He said the union came up with the initiative of imparting knowledge to the development officers as they were at the helm of developing the sport.

Chama said the development officers were the ones who spent most of the time with the cricketers.

He said the training would also help the officers get acquainted with the modern techniques of the game and that he was confident the seminar would have a positive impact on the union.

"I am sure the development officers will benefit from this seminar and looking at the course content there is no doubt that they will be better managers after the seminar," he said.

The ZCU president said it was the first time the union had held a seminar of such magnitude and that plans were underway to make sure such events were held from time to time.

He also congratulated ZCU development officer Robert Kumwenda for excelling in the umpiring course that was held in South Africa last December.

And ZCU office manager Mwila Chungu said the purpose of the seminar was to equip the development officers with management information for them to function effectively.