Sports
T20 World Cup: Canada wants to win few games; the side is capable of doing it, says coach Dassanayake
Dallas, June 1 (IANS) The 2024 men’s T20 World Cup will kick off with a North American derby between co-hosts USA and Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Co-incidentally, the two teams played the first ever international cricket match, way back in 1844, and will mark their debut in the showpiece event in a clash against each other.
Qualifying for their maiden Men’s T20 World Cup via winning the Regional Qualifier, Canada will be keen to put up a formidable show in the tournament. Head coach Pubudu Dassanayake, who helped Canada qualify for the 2011 ODI World Cup, as well as coached Nepal and the USA, speaks exclusively to IANS on the side’s maiden appearance in a T20 World Cup, players to keep a watch out for, and prospect of playing against India and Pakistan.
Q. What is the feeling in the team camp currently ahead of Canada making its first T20 World Cup appearance?
A. It’s a great time for Canada. I mean, we had a long journey – like last two years, getting ODI status again and getting into the first time ever in a T20 World Cup. So, it’s a historical moment for Canada; not just for the team, but also for every cricket fan in the country.
Regarding team environment, everybody in the entire set-up is so excited to be here. Every player is playing a T20 World Cup for the first time. They haven’t been into caliber of tournaments like this before. So, they’re so excited and working hard. We want to win few games and we are capable of doing it.
Q. How has been the team’s preparation – there was a 4-0 loss to USA, but recently beat Nepal in the warm-up game?
A. In the USA series, we were caught up in a muddle – we just came out from a 50-over series in Dubai that time, and won all four games of World Cricket League too, including beating Scotland and UAE. So, there was a lot of focus towards the 50-over format.
We are still not that team where you can just like right away change into the T20 version. So, we suffered a bit there, but now I think we had some training camps and we were in St. Kitts for two weeks. So, little things that we need to turn around from 50-over to T20, we have done it and we look good to be now ready for the World Cup.
Q. Are all players fit and raring to go, considering reports came of injuries and cramps from the warm-up game against Nepal?
A. The main thing which happened was that day, it was humid. We had never been into that humid situation before. So, there were no real injuries except for one. Pargat Singh and Ravinderpal Singh got cramps, while Rayyan Pathan player got like a bit of a hamstring pull while batting, which was also due to the heat we had on that day.
He’s also recovered and is 80% good now and hopefully he’ll be good to go for the opening game. The rest of the guys are all back to normal. Our medical staff has done a tremendous job to bring everybody back.
Q. You have coached Nepal twice, USA once and currently coaching Canada for the second time. How has life been for you as a coach in associate cricket nations?
A. It’s a tough life. But I enjoy the things and I’m very happy that I put seeds in Nepal and USA. Those two teams are now, maybe I can say, that they are one of the best associate countries at the moment.
When I joined Nepal, they were in Division 5. When I joined USA, they were in Division 4. Now they are Division 1 nations and not just Division 1, they are very capable of doing well in this World Cup plus even in the World Cricket League too.
So, I’m happy as a coach, and I’m with Canada for two years now and we have brought them into a decent level, though there’s still a lot of work to do. But getting into the T20 World Cup, I think it’s a real boost for the whole country.
Plus for me as a coach, I know what effects it has when you bring a team into a World Cup. There are so many opportunities we get when you are preparing for a World Cup. That opportunities will stay there for a long time, preparation-wise, improving players-wise. So, I’m happy as a coach.
I know that sometimes a coach’s life is hard. You do your thing and then you have to walk out one day and somewhere you have to begin again from scratch. But I think I’m enjoying and I’m happy with whatever little contribution I can give to the game.
Q. What has been your coaching philosophy in all these years of being at the helm of associate sides?
A. The full-members always have everything – facilities, good pathways, proper tournaments and first-class tournaments. When you walk into an associate country, you don’t get none of those. One of the things that I’ve been doing mainly is I’m bringing the stability for the players because there’s no money.
They have to work everywhere they go and also have to work to earn their living. But then getting time for training and bringing that full commitment towards the game is a big challenge. So, that’s what I have done normally – everywhere I go, I bring those playing groups into that.
I made them hungry to move forward and play good cricket. Then when you talk about the facilities and other areas, you need to be open to work with anything that is available. You will never get a proper turf, or a proper ground for training. So, those are big challenges and I think I have done well there.
Q. Nicholas Kirton has been a consistent performer for Canada, including hitting a fifty in the warm-game against Nepal. Can you tell more about him and how he got into the side?
A. Nicholas has grown up a lot from the last few years. Even before I came into Canada, I was watching him. He was born in Canada, but he was living in Barbados for a while and played first-class cricket for them too. He was technically correct, in the mould of a longer version better.
The amount of work that we have done on him in the last two years, I have seen him coming out of that. Right now, he’s one of the most innovative players. He has options to play 360-degree boundaries, and is one of the fittest guys in the team. So, he is one of the players to watch from Canadian team.
Q. Could you talk about Canada’s batting depth, like some bowlers do hit handy cameos at the fag end of the innings?
A. We have everybody (in terms of batting deep). The bowlers (like Dillon Heyliger, Saad Bin Zafar, Ravinderpal Singh) can bat a bit, even Kaleem Sana can bat. So, we bat deep and middle order, it’s very strong. At the top of the order, guys like Kirton, Aaron Johnson and Navneet Dhaliwal are there. So, it’s a good batting line-up; our strength is batting and we are looking forward for it.
Q. What is one aspect of the game which you feel needs more attention ahead of the tournament?
A. Fielding is the one that we are working very hard on. Most of the time, when you have this six-month winter season, we have very less chance to go outdoor during that time. So, in indoors, we don’t train that much for the fielding. We are up there in bowling and batting. If we take all our catches, we can trouble any team. So, these last couple of months, we have put a lot of effort on our fielding to improve.
Q. Canada will be playing against Pakistan and India in the World Cup. How much excitement is there in the camp currently about facing these two big teams?
A. In our group, there’s so much excitement to play against Pakistan and India. The players are more excited because most of our team is from South Asia. It’s a dream for them to play against those big teams. But those will be tough games and we have to compete at our best. The work that we have been putting in, we will be very competitive for any team.
Q. This time’s T20 World Cup is being played amongst 20 teams, nine of which are associate nations. How big it is for world cricket to have nine associate sides in this showpiece event?
A. It’s a great initiative by ICC, because I know the effect when an associate country gets into a World Cup. The amount of training that they do and the support that they get, the whole country’s growth is affected by that. So, that’s a great one to be in a World Cup, especially in countries of North America, going into the shorter version.
The 50-over format is not that popular still in North America, especially in the USA. So, T20 is growing because it’s a shorter version and people want to be excited throughout the game. So, ICC expanding into 20 teams and nine (associate) teams getting into the World Cup, will definitely help cricket.
Having nine associate teams in this World Cup is an icing on the cake. When it comes to T20, don’t underestimate the associates. You will have surprises and upsets in this World Cup, as T20 is anybody’s game on a given day.
But at the same time, I want to mention wherever I work and even in Canada now, I’m pushing for them to have the longer version through their pathways, because that’s the one format that will help players to develop their game.
Q. This World Cup has been billed as a way to crack the USA code. Do you feel this World Cup can propel growth of cricket in the USA?
A. USA is developing a lot in cricket. Like, there are many players now shifting to USA to live here and play cricket. It’s a place where, not only Major League, and Minor League, there are so many weekend tournaments happening in T20 format.
I have seen lots of players moving in there – the past and current young players. It’s an attractive place for any cricketer now, basically and the World Cup is going to light up that, as well as the whole of North America. I am sure all these things will help to grow cricket more in this part of the world.
Q. In your opinion, what more needs to be done for Canada to jump to the next level in cricket from an on-field perspective?
A. We need to fix our pathways. Like, we need to focus on our junior cricket, and domestic structure, when it comes to playing quality tournaments. Whether it’s first class cricket, list A cricket or junior structure, we need to start building that. There’s a lot of talent in Canada, considering there’s so much of South Asians living there.
It not just only South Asians, but there are players from the Caribbean, and South Africa too in the system. So when I see these junior Under 19 cricketers in Canada, I feel that there is no difference between them and a full member nation youngster.
If I had to compare 16-17 year old here with anywhere in the world, the talent is there. It’s just that they don’t have the opportunity to play quality cricket, and to develop their game from there. For that to happen, we need to fix our pathways.
–IANS
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Bengaluru, Aug 22 (IANS) Shivamogga Lions’ woes continued as they suffered a 28-run defeat to the Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Mysore Warriors delivered a well-rounded performance, anchored by Karun Nair’s (45) swift knock, supported by a few other good contributions in the middle order, and highlighted by late-innings fireworks from J Suchith (22*) and Manoj Bhandage (23).
On the bowling front, Vidyadhar Patil (3/29) and Karthik CA (3/31) played crucial roles in restricting the Shivamogga Lions. Sharath HS’ (4/29) lethal spell with the ball and valiant efforts from Abhinav Manohar (46) and Nihal Ullal (46) with the bat couldn’t turn the tide in Shivamogga’s favour.
Chasing 180, Shivamogga Lions got off to a disastrous start, with Vidyadhar Patil’s lethal first over leading to the dismissals of Mohith Bangalore (2) and Dheeraj Mohan (0) in consecutive deliveries. Skipper Nihal Ullal (46) managed to crack a few early boundaries, but Hardik Raj (17) was also removed by Krishnappa Gowtham, leaving the Lions reeling at 41/3 by the end of the powerplay.
K Gowtham then engineered the run out of Rohan Naveen (11), further denting the chase. The in-form Abhinav Manohar (Impact Player) joined Ullal, and the duo breathed life into the innings, putting together a 70-run partnership in just 43 balls.
However, Ullal fell short of his first half-century of the season, leaving the Shivamogga Lions at 123/5 in 15.1 overs. Manohar also narrowly missed his milestone, holing out to K Gowtham off Karthik CA. Manohar’s 26-ball knock included four sixes and three fours, adding valuable runs to the total.
Karthik CA struck again two deliveries later, dismissing Shivraj S and leaving the Lions in deep trouble. With 47 runs needed from the final 18 balls, Ashok D tried to keep the chase alive by smashing a six and a four off Vidyadhar Patil, but perished in the same over, effectively ending Shivamogga’s prospects. Shivamogga Lions finished at 151/9 in 20 overs, enduring their sixth consecutive loss.
Batting first, Mysore Warriors faced an early challenge as Sharath HS unleashed a menacing spell. He struck in the powerplay, dismissing Karthik SU (8), and then returned in the seventh over to remove CA Karthik (30), who smashed three sixes in a 34-run stand with Karun Nair (45) and Harshil Dharmani (0).
Nair continued in fine touch and peppered the boundary with six fours and two sixes during his 23-ball stay before falling to Ashok D in the 11th over.
Kishan Bedare (17) steered the innings, forming a 28-run partnership with Nair and adding another 29 runs with Sumit Kumar (28) before being caught and bowled by Bharath Dhuri, leaving the Warriors at 116/5 in 16.1 overs. The depth of Mysore’s batting lineup came to the fore as Manoj Bhandage and J Suchith launched a late assault.
Vasuki Koushik, tasked with the 18th over, began with a six and a four from Sumit Kumar. Bhandage then took charge, hammering three consecutive sixes off Koushik in the same over before falling as Sharath’s fourth wicket in the 19th ending a blistering 23-run cameo off just seven balls. J Suchith, carried on the momentum, smashing two sixes and a four in an 8-ball flurry, pushing the Mysore Warriors to a competitive 179/7 in their 20 overs.
Brief scores: Mysore Warriors 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Karthik CA 30, Karun Nair 45, Sumit Kumar 28; Sharath HS 4-29) beat Shivamogga Lions 151/9 in 20 overs (Nihal Ullal 46, Abhinav Manohar 46 runs; Vidyadhar Patil 3-29, Karthik CA 3-31) by 28 runs.
–IANS
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Castle Rock (Colorado), Aug 22 (IANS) Indian Americans Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia who failed to make it to the Top-10 last week at the St Jude Championships, the first of the three Play-offs events, will be looking for a better showing as they move towards the finale at the Tour Championships after that.
Last week Hideki Matsuyama, after leading by five at one time, had to birdie the last two holes to win the St Jude Championships. He became the first Asian to win a Play-off event and it was his 10th PGA Tour win, the highest from the continent.
Last week Bhatia was T-12, Rai was T-16 and Theegala was way behind in T-46, but all three have entered the second of the three Play-offs events.
World No, 2 Xander Schauffele, a two-time Major winner in 2024, was tied second last week with Viktor Hovland, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was fourth last week, though World No. 3 Rory McIlroy had a poor week in T-68 place.
Among Asians Korea’s Si Woo Kim has all to play for at the BMW Championship, the second of three FedExCup Playoffs events, in Colorado this week, with two big goals providing the drive for him to step up his game.
The four-time PGA TOUR winner tees up at Castle Pines Golf Club with the intention of breaking into the top-30 of the FedExCup points list and qualify for the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship next week. Kim is presently ranked 44th after last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
A strong week is also required for Kim to keep alive his hopes of earning a spot in the International Team to face the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup in Royal Montreal next month. Currently 14th on the team roster, the top-6 after this week’s BMW Championship will secure automatic spots, with captain Mike Weir naming six more picks after the TOUR Championship.
Compatriots Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, who are 10th and 15th respectively on the FedExCup rankings, are virtually assured of teeing up at the TOUR Championship, which will use a staggered-scoring format based on positions after this week.
Irrespective of how his week plays out, Kim is pleased to secure his top-50 status, which guarantees starts in all eight Signature tournaments next season.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The packed schedule of men’s county cricket in 2025 will remain largely unchanged, despite concerns raised by the majority of players over the impact on their physical well-being.
According to a survey conducted by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) earlier this season, more than 80 per cent of players expressed fears that the current schedule is too demanding and poses risks to their health.
However, despite these concerns, the 2025 schedule is set to continue as usual. Each county will still compete in a minimum of 14 County Championship matches, eight Metro Bank Cup fixtures, and 14 Vitality T20 Blast games. The changes for next season will be largely cosmetic, offering little relief for players concerned about the gruelling calendar.
The PCA has been advocating for adjustments that would spread out the T20 fixtures across the week, aiming to reduce tight turnarounds and introduce more consistent three-day breaks between Championship games.
“There’s definitely room for improvement in 2025 compared to 2024,” said Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s interim chief executive, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. “The schedule can definitely be managed better. Certainly, the Blast was very much looked at through a commercial lens, trying to squeeze as many games as possible into Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Utilizing the majority of the week is probably the way forward, trying to spread them out to give that time for recovery, travel, and preparation.”
The T20 Blast, in particular, has been the main point of debate when it comes to scheduling. The timing of the knockout stages has been a significant concern. In 2023, these stages were held immediately after the group matches in July, allowing counties to retain their overseas players. This year, however, the knockout stages will be pushed to September, giving clubs an extended six-week window to market and sell tickets for home quarter-finals.
While these adjustments offer slight improvements, the overall schedule remains packed, leaving many players apprehensive about how much more they can push themselves physically in the long term. Despite the calls for change, it appears that any significant reduction in the number of fixtures is unlikely in the future, with commercial considerations still driving much of the decision-making process around county cricket.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) After ending his T20I career with an elusive T20 World Cup title in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that it was his dream to transform the team without thinking too much about the results.
Rohit-led Indian team ended the decade-long ICC title drought after beating South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 to lift their second title in the format. In 2023, the Men in Blue failed to win the World Test Championship and 2023 ODI World Cup under Rohit’s leadership after losing to Australia in the finals.
The swashbuckling opening batter also credited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, former head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for their support in transforming the team and creating a fearless culture in the squad.
“It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about stats and results and also to make sure that we create an environment where people can go out and play freely, without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from my three pillars Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid and chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar. That was critical for me to do what I did. Obviously, not to forget players who came in at different points in time and helped the team to achieve what we have achieved today,” Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI on X.
On Wednesday, Rohit was awarded ‘Men’s International Cricketer of the Year’ while Dravid was accorded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Ceat Cricket Rating Awards 2023-24 in Mumbai. India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli was named the ‘Men’s ODI Batter of the Year’ while on the bowling front, Mohammed Shami was awarded the ‘ODI Bowler of the Year’.
The 37-year-old batter finished as the second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs including three half-centuries and at a strike rate of 156.70. He played a major role in providing solid starts for the team on the slow pitches of the USA and the West Indies.
After lifting the title, Rohit joined Kohli to announce his retirement from the T20I. With 4,231 runs, Rohit is the leading run-getter in the format behind his teammate Kohli (4188 runs). Both batters will continue to play the other formats of the game. The duo last featured for India in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
–IANS
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Gotemba (Japan), Aug 22 (IANS) A year after being the youngest ever to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Kartik Singh, now 14 years of age, is the highest ranked among the four Indians set to take part in the 15th AAC to be held in Japan.
As of date Kartik is the highest ranked Indian at 199 while the other three players to have received the invitation for this prestigious event are Krishnav Nikhil Chopra and Vedant Sirohi, both past participants in the event and Rakshit Dahiya will be in the four-player team.
Kartik Singh has also been named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup team. A regular winner in junior and amateur events, Kartik will spearhead the Indian challenge.
Apart from India’s Kartik Singh, there are seven others named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup International Team. They are Joshua Bai, Warut Boonrod, Xihuan Chang, Rayhan Latief, Khanh Hung Le, Thangwin Lee, Anh Minh Ngyuyen,
As many as 113 players have been confirmed for the Championship, which will be held October 3-6, 2024, at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Gotemba, Japan. A full list of confirmed players can be found. The field will be 120 with a few more names to be added by the Organisers.
India’s best ever placing has been second place by Rayhan Thomas, who was runner-up in Sentosa, Singapore in 2018. The Dubai-based Indian Rayhan has since turned professional, and last week won his first pro title on India’s Professional Tour of India Tour.
Krishnav, who plays college golf in the US, is the son of former India cricketer turned commentator, Nikhil Chopraa, who often takes the role of a caddie for his son.
Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region.
The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
The confirmed list which has players from 38 APGC member organizations is highlighted by defending champion Jasper Stubbs of Australia and four players representing China inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Wenyi Ding (No. 4), Xihuan Chang (No. 36), Xiangyun Bai (No. 61) and Paul Chang (No. 97).
Ding finished runner-up to Stubbs in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur while Xihuan Chang reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in July.
Other top-100 participants include Vietnam’s Anh Minh Nguyen (No. 68) and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (No. 78).
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith. Over the Championship’s 14-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, Smith, Cameron Davis, Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Satoshi Kodaira, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Min Woo Lee, Keita Nakajima and C.T. Pan. Collectively, alumni of the Asia-Pacific Amateur have gone on to win 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 130 across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
As the host nation, Japan will lead the list of up to 43 APGC member nations represented with 10 players in this year’s field. A player from Japan has won four of the 14 editions of the Championship (Matsuyama/2010, 2011; Takumi Kanaya/2018; Nakajima/2021).
–IANS
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