From various announcements, the Cricket Canada magazine “Wickets” and other sources, a draft calendar of events for the national teams can be pieced together. It looks like a busy year!
The first major event is ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia, April 18-28. It seems likely that the national team will prepare for the tournament in South Africa in the first half of April, and there’s hopes of a short tour to the West Indies at the end of February. May sees the ICC Americas Women’s T20 qualifier, where Canada will play the USA in Fort Lauderdale in an attempt to reach the Global qualifier to be held later in the year.
The National T20 tournament is scheduled for early July, likely in the Toronto area again, and July also sees the Under 19 World Cup qualifier, also likely on the Toronto area. The Under 19s are hoping to qualify for the 2020 Under 19 World Cup.
The Global T20 tournament will be held later this year- after the World Cup, starting in late July and running until mid-August, closely followed by the ICC Americas T20 regional finals in Bermuda. Cricket Canada also are planing a repeat of last year/s Cricket Festival over the Labour Day weekend.
If Canada finish in the top four in WCL Division 2, they will be playing in the 2019–21 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, with games starting in July. This will be 50 over matches, played as a series of tri-series tournaments. If they finish in the bottom two in WCL Division 2, they will play in the 2019–21 ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League, scheduled to start in August 2019, with all matches having List A status.
If the team is successful in the Americas T20 qualifier, they will play in the 2020 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier, expected to take place in October 2019.
This adds up to an extremely busy schedule, especially for those on the men’s senior team. If a player is selected for both one day and T20 teams, and the Global T20 they will be on national team or franchise duty for at least 10 weeks. It would seem probable that they would need to set aside at least another two weeks for the ICC League games in the fall, and the ICC Global T20 qualifier. It will be extremely challenging for players to hold down a full time job, or continue full time study with this schedule, and it to be hoped that the promise of Global T20 contracts is fulfilled.