Continuing its commitment to grassroots Cricket in Canada, RBC announced today that cricket legends Wasim Akram and Sunil Joshi will be touring the Greater Toronto and Greater Vancouver regions from June 24-July 1, 2011. The former Pakistan and India national team players will be helping to tutor young players and putting the spotlight on RBC’s recent contributions to grassroots cricket in Canada.
“We are very excited that two of the greatest cricketers in the world – Wasim Akram and Sunil Joshi – have agreed to help us inspire young cricketers and continue to build the sport in Canada,” said Camon Mak, director, Multicultural Markets, RBC. “Supporting cricket enables us to build deeper connections with multicultural communities in ways that are meaningful to them, and to help them pass along a cherished tradition to their children.”

Wasim Akram was inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Hall of fame in 2009. Renowned as one of the first reverse-swing bowlers and perhaps the best fast bowler in the history of cricket, Akram holds the world record for most wickets in List A cricket with 881. A former captain of the Pakistan national team, Akram led his nation to victory at the 1992 World Cup of Cricket in Australia.

Celebrated for his silky left-arm spin bowling and free swinging lower-order batting, Sunil Joshi earned an unprecedented Ranji Trophy double of 500 runs and 50 wickets in 1996. That same year he earned a spot on India’s national team, and remained a regular until 2001. For the past several years Joshi has led his hometown Karnataka team in India’s Premier League.

RBC is committed to grassroots cricket

In May, 2011 the RBC Foundation announced $100,000 in funding to help improve access to cricket in four Canadian municipalities this year:

• In Toronto’s Thorncliffe neighbourhood, a $25,000 grant will enable a baseball diamond to be ‘multi-purposed’ with portable wickets and stumps and a batting practice area built into the existing backstop.
• In Montreal’s Villeray/Saint Michel neighbourhood, a $25,000 grant will enable the construction of batting cages/practice areas that will help meet a surging demand for cricket.
• In Victoria, a $25,000 grant will enable the refurbishment of the city’s historic Beacon Hill cricket facility and enhance community programs to introduce more youth to cricket.
• In Abbotsford, a $25,000 grant will enable the renovations and leveling necessary to make the city’s Clearbrook Park facility safer and more accessible.

Over the past five years, RBC and its ‘RBC Wicket Cricket’ in-school program has delivered free cricket equipment and professional instruction to more than 1,100 schools across the country, and has contributed more than $250,000 worth of RBC Foundation grants to help municipalities, recreation centres and cricket clubs to better service the enormous demand for cricket programming in urban centres. Each summer RBC also donates cricket equipment to various municipal day camps and cricket associations.

RBC is also supporting grassroots cricket through Cricket Across The Pond, a community initiative led by CIMA Canada and the Access & Diversity Unit of the Parks, Forestry & Recreation to provide opportunities to youth from diverse neighborhoods to participate in a fully paid cricket training trip to the UK.

Wasim Akram and Sunil Joshi visits

Wasim Akram and Sunil Joshi will be meeting young cricketers and cricket fans of all ages and available to media in Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton from June 24-27, 2011. Wasim Akram will then travel to Vancouver, Surrey, Abbotsford and Victoria to help RBC celebrate its involvement in cricket from June 29-July 1, 2011.

Detailed advisories will be communicated to media prior to local appearances. The general schedule follows:

Greater Toronto Area