Former first class cricketers ideas for Canadian cricket
 

Tahir Khan
e-mail: tahir_k@hotmail.com

   
  24.05.02
Before I came to Canada, I played first class cricket in the Rawalpindi Division, Pakistan. In the Rawalpindi Division, there were only four good Academies, and one of them was Gul Cricket Academy, where I trained. Under the great coach Mohammed Aziz, whom gave his life for cricket, and Mohammed Raiz, Gul Academy used to have between 40-50 members at practice every single day. I would like to suggest that we need to develop similar Cricket Academies within the Toronto & District League, and in every province of Canada.

In Toronto I see that only the Toronto Cricket Club has practice facilities which are supervised by a coach. We need more facilities and coaches in Toronto, because the Toronto & District League provides 80 to 90 percent of the players to the Canada squad.

As I see it, we select players not only on a merit basis. Within Canada there are enough talented players, that we can come up with a good team. If we keep selecting players who are not contributing time, money and energy to Canadian cricket, then one day we will not find good cricketers in Canada.

Most players in Canada are now from Asia, and cricket is in their blood. We should follow what is being done at the Toronto Cricket Club. We must gather players together for coaching and prepare them for the future.

If the CCA are looking for a good cricketing future in Canada, they must be made to realize this. This is a wake up call for them. Make the team from the players who are playing in Canada. Make them work hard, and if some players cannot make the grade then give someone else a chance. Trust me, if you put a donkey in a horse race, he is not going to become fast like a horse, and he will still look, and behave like a donkey.

The CCA must draw a line, come up with a plan, improve itself, and make friends not enemies. We are living in year 2002 and we are living in this beautiful country, Canada. Please make it more beautiful.

I am left asking myself... What is going on with cricket in Canada? I see cricket at all levels in Canada going down. The future is dark and one day it will became a joke.

I think this is the last chance for the CCA to get Canada to ODI or Test status, if they pick the right team for the coming 2003 World Cup. I think that if they really love cricket, and have some common sense, they can find out from ICC, America's Cup and Six-Nation tournament, what they need in the team:

1: A proper coach for the team, for bowling and batting, at an international level.
2: Train on a proper wicket, and have a training camp of 35-40 players.
3: Look for the talent within Canada not outside.
4: Open for everybody not just a select few names, select the players on merit.

We need that Canada play the kind of cricket that will help everybody, from fan, player, member of CCA, T&D, Quebec, Ottawa: every board in Canada.

Remember we all love cricket and we have to prove it too. We need Cricket Academies, online and on the field, for the coming generation of cricketers. Please help cricket in Canada, we are not going to live forever in this world, and we should leave something good for the coming generation of cricketers.

Thanks.
Love for all, hate for nobody.
Tahir Khan.

The above letter was sent direct to canadacricket.com
Some editing has been undertaken for the purposes of clarity (JH).

 

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