By David Grossman High School Sports Reporter
Twice before, Muhammad Hassan came close to being picked for the Cricket Across the Pond team that played a summer series of games in England. So, when the telephone call came earlier this month, the 17-year old again figured he had missed out yet again and would get encouragement to try the following year. This time, the message was different. Hassan was picked, told his dream had come true and to start planning for the trip to the prestigious Chessington Cricket Club in Surrey. “That call, it was unbelievable for me,” said Hassan, who graduates later this month from Toronto’s North Albion Collegiate and will study bio-medical sciences in the fall at York University.“I was so happy, I lost control and I kissed my sister. Just danced around the house. This is an experience of a lifetime. Not many people get to go to such a famous cricket place, learn and then play games — and not pay for anything.”
Hassan, who came to Canada with his family seven years ago from Pakistan, was one of 12 players — seven from high schools and five from colleges and universities — selected for the third annual trip set for Aug 13 to 23.
The team will play a series of games at the Lord’s Cricket Grounds and learn the history and heritage of cricket in the U.K.
“I gave it my best at practice, but there were lots of good and skilled players,” said Hassan, a bowler who bats in the middle order and was instrumental in North Albion winning the GTA high school indoor championship.
“When I saw the competition, I didn’t really hold out much hope of making the team.”
Derek Perera, formerly with the Canadian junior cricket team, will coach the group of players, ages 16 to 21, chosen following tryouts involving students from private, public and Catholic schools as well as post-secondary institutions.
The 10-day trip, with a budget of about $70,000 is made possible through the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) — a United Kingdom-based professional association — and a variety of corporate sponsors.
In past, the team was made up of players from Toronto’s priority neighborhoods.
Two years ago, the Canadian group won all six games. Last year, they went 2-4.
Others chosen to the team are Shah Tahseen, Hassan’s buddy from North Albion, and two other Toronto high school players — Koirala Shashwat from Upper Canada College and Nikhail Batiste from Emery Collegiate.
Ali Tristan was picked from Father McGivney High in Markham, Dutta Nikhil attends Father Goetz in Mississauga and Vikram Singh is a student at Trinity College in Port Hope.
Saad Bin Zafar from the University of Toronto, Ryerson University’s Parth Raval and Pratik Marathe from McMaster University in Hamilton join Dale Lucas and Mahideep Singh Sidhu, from Centennial and Seneca Colleges respectively, to round out the team.