Given the decline in fortunes of West Indies cricket since the glory days of the 1980s, it may come as no surpise to readers to learn that the West Indies Cricket Board has developed a new teaching manual which relates cricket to learning.

Known as “Clarence Goes to School”, the manual “introduces different facets of cricket in a fun way into the core subject areas of language arts, maths, geography, history, art and design, design and technology, information technology,” according to the Trinidad Guardian.

It goes on: “In the language arts section, the targeted outcome is that the students develop, improve and apply the skills of speaking, listening and writing. The section includes lessons in imaginative, poetry and explanation writing. One lesson asks students to read biographical sketches of cricket greats like Sir Frank Worrell and Sonny Ramadin and then write their own autobiographies.”

Let’s hope Clarence inspires a whole new generation of West Indian kids to take on the world. Who knows, maybe he’ll also encourage a few budding bards to combine their sporting and poetic interests …