Despite plenty of list changes new Williamstown Congs coach Reg Mustafa is bullish on the club’s hopes in the upcoming Victorian Turf Cricket Association season.
Mustafa is a club great, having coached the club back in 2004-05 as well as being captain of the club’s last first XI premiership in 2005-2006. The club said Mustafa was an outstanding middle order batsman-wicket keeper for the Congs.
After being reinstated as coach back in August, Mustafa has been building the club back to where it once was, after it finished in eighth spot with just three wins last season.
“We’re looking forward to it, the pre season’s dragging out a bit so we’re looking forward to getting into it,” Mustafa said.
“It’s looking promising at the moment, we’re rebuilding, we’ve lost a few players, but we’ve gained a few players and some past players have come back.
“We are quite enthusiastic about the year ahead.
“We’re not setting any targets, we’re just we’ll just let the season roll out and I’m quite optimistic.
“I wouldn’t want to finish lower than mid table… but we have no targets.”
Some of the players returning to the club include Hamon Uppal who has returned to the club and is a former captain-coach of the Congs.
“He’s a handy pick up, top to middle order batsman,” Mustafa said.
Some of the new players joining the fold are opening bowler Malik Parsanjeet and top order batsman Vishal Attan.
“They’re really handy players and sort of fell into our lap by chance, but are really hand inclusions,” Mustafa said.
To accompany the off season recruits, Mustafa said he has determined some young players ripe for the choosing in his first XI.
“I think it’s their time to come into the ones, so it’s looking positive at the moment,” he said.
While moving up the ladder is a focus for the club, off field is just as big a focus for this season. The Congs has been using portable facilities the past three years, but now have access to new facilities at J.T Gray Reserve.
“We want to get that community back to the club,” he said.
“The families, women and children around the club. We didn’t have the proper facilities for them.
“We want to get back to where it was and get families back.”
Mustafa said they were also keen to get a women’s side back up and running and want to expand their junior program which currently has two teams.
Harper Sercombe
