History
Introduced by the British, cricket was the most popular sport in Canada until the early 20th century when it was overtaken by ice hockey and other sports. Cricket was so popular it was declared the national sport by John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister. Today, cricket is the fastest growing sport in Canada, [1] [2] [3] with well over 40,000 cricketers across the nation. [4] [5] While Canada is not sanctioned to play Test matches, the team does take part in One Day International (ODI) matches and also in first-class games (in the ICC Intercontinental Cup) against other non-Test-playing opposition, with the rivalry against the United States being as strong in cricket as it is in other team sports. The match between these two nations is the oldest international fixture in cricket, having first been played in 1844. This international fixture even outdates the Olympics by over 50 years. The ICC sanctions a few grounds in Canada to host official ODI's. The most famous Canadian cricketer is John Davison, who was born in Canada but raised in Australia and participated in the Cricket World Cup in 2003, 2007, and 2011. At the 2003 World Cup, Davison hit the fastest century in tournament history against the West Indies in a losing cause. In that World Cup, he also smashed a half-century at a strike rate of almost 200 against New Zealand. One year later, in the ICC Intercontinental Cup against the US, he proved the difference between the two sides, taking 17 wickets for 137 runs and scoring 84 runs. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, John Davison scored the second-fastest half-century against New Zealand. Canada has participated in the 1979, 2003, and 2007 Cricket World Cups. Canada has traditionally had a strong Women's team. Also, The Canadian Under 19 team has competed in the Under 19 World Cup twice. In 2002, they were eliminated in the first round, meaning they competed in the plate competition, in which they did not win a game. They repeated this performance in the 2004 competition.
Early 2000s
In 2004, Canada lost all their games and finished in last place at the Six Nations Challenge in the United Arab Emirates. However, the team won the ICC Americas Championship in Bermuda shortly afterwards. Also in 2004, Canada participated in the first ICC Intercontinental Cup, finishing as runners-up to Scotland. The highlight of this tournament was the game against the US in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when John Davison recorded the best match bowling figures since Jim Laker's 19 wickets against Australia in 1956.
In 2005, Canada again finished third in the ICC Trophy, which gained them official ODI status from 2006 until the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier, as well as qualifying them for the 2007 World Cup. Their performance in the Intercontinental Cup that year was not as good as in 2004 however, as they did not make it past the first round.
In 2006, Canada put in good performances in the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, beating Kenya by 25 runs and Bermuda by nine wickets. Still, their one-day form was a complete reversal, losing three times to Bermuda and Kenya, and a further loss to Zimbabwe. In August 2006, Canada took part in the Division 1 of the Americas Championship. They beat Argentina and long-time rivals the USA, but lost to the Cayman Islands and eventual winners Bermuda, and finished third, their worst performance so far in this tournament.
2008
In June and July 2008, Canada hosted Bermuda for three ODIs, and Intercontinental Cup matches against Bermuda and Scotland. In August, Canada traveled to Ireland for the World Twenty20 Qualification Tournament. Canada did not qualify for the World Twenty20, finishing 5th ahead of Bermuda. The ODIs and an Intercontinental Cup match were hampered by rain. In late summer of 2008, West Indies and Bermuda came to Canada to play One-Day Scotiabank Series with Canada. Canada defeated Bermuda to face West Indies in the Final. West Indies captain Chris Gayle smashed his sixteenth ODI century and led his side to an easy seven-wicket victory against Canada in the finals of the Scotiabank ODI Series at King City.
During the Scotiabank Series the talents of Rizwan Cheema were discovered – he would become the star of the first Al-Barakah T20 Canada. The tournament involved Canada, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Canada lost all three of their matches. However, the loss to Zimbabwe came in a bowl-out. Sri Lanka was the eventual winners, defeating Pakistan in the Final. The tournament is expected to be played annually for the next four years.
In late November 2008, Canada participated in the Americas Championship in Florida, USA. The United States, after years of disarray, pulled together and won the championship. Canada finished 3rd on Net Run Rate behind Bermuda, as their match was washed out due to rain.
2009
Following bold management decisions which allowed Cricket Canada to sign seven players to central contracts in 2008, and increased ICC funding in 2009, allowed to continue a move designed to regularize training sessions with a core group of cricketers. For the likes of Rizwan Cheema, who had been working in a fast-food restaurant called Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, quitting the day job to play cricket was an easy decision; others, such as investment banker Ashish Bagai, had to mull it over before signing, even with the global financial crisis raging.
Following this, the team headed to Sri Lanka for a training camp that would forever change the face of Canadian Cricket. For the first time in its history, the players were exposed to a first-class environment and responded by dominating the opening stages of the 2009 Cricket World Cup Qualifier. This led to a second-place finish and an invitation to the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2010
In late January, the Canadian team embarked for Sri Lanka to play some warm-up matches ahead of the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in the UAE, which were to be followed by two ODIs and a four-day Intercontinental Cup match against Afghanistan. In January 2010, Canada's u19 team also made history as they upset heavily favored Zimbabwe in the first match of the 2010 u19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. The Canadians built off this all-round upset to finish a best-ever 11th place at the tournament. Also in January, Canada's men's team traveled to Sri Lanka to participate in the Sri Lanka Cricket Four Nations Cup with Sri Lanka 'A', Ireland, and Afghanistan. Canada again made history by producing the first-ever live broadcast of an associates cricket match. The production was well received and has paved the way for more such broadcasts in the future.
In February 2010 Canada participated in the 2010 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup qualification tournament in which they failed to register a win and were eliminated after the first round.
In March 2010, Cricket Canada Directors, for the first time, voted in president Ranjit Saini.
In April 2010, Cricket Canada declared its inability to host the 2012 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which it had committed to hosting in 2007.
Canada emerged winless from an April tour of the Caribbean playing Jamaica in a 50-over and Twenty20 game, West Indies XI in a Twenty20 game and the West Indies in a One-day international.
Canada's presence in America also led to a relationship being developed with the West Indies Cricket Board. This included an invitation from WICB for Canada to participate in the Caribbean T20 tournament. Though not winning a game, the tournament was a success for Canada as a relationship was created with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. CBC webcast all of Canada's matches and had more substantial viewer ratings for this.
In June 2010, Canada stamped its authority in the Americas by winning all matches at the Americas Cup tournament in Bermuda and finishing finalists with winners USA in the Americas Twenty20. Canada also played Ireland in a drawn warm-up game in the Netherlands before World Cricket League Div 1 (Ireland's top-string team played Australia in Dublin).
Canada finished the year with some energy losing the 4-day match at home to Zimbabwe and Ireland but defeating top-ranked Ireland in an ODI in front of a packed house at the Toronto Cricket Club. Cricket was firmly back in Toronto, and the team responded.
The year ended with the Cricket Canada summer festival at Malton Cricket Club. A strong West Indies High-Performance Team (containing players with test and ODI players) split their matches with Canada in two hard-fought contests.
That November, the board decided to send the team to the World Cricket Academy in India. The 4-week trip included games in 4 cities for preparation ahead of the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011
Canada played two major tournaments in the first part of 2011, the Caribbean T20 tournament. Participating for the second time in the West Indies domestic T20 competition, Canada defeated heavily favored Hampshire before fighting Trinidad and Tobago to the last ball in the opening two matches of the tournament.
From the West Indies, Canada traveled to Dubai, splitting matches with Netherlands and Afghanistan before arriving at the 2011 Cricket World Cup. At this tournament, Canada recorded great performances from skipper Ashish Bagai, Henry Osinde, Jimmy Hansra, WD Balaji Rao, Hiral Patel and others as they won only their second ever match at a Cricket World Cup. The performance was steady by a young Canadian team and has set the table for an exciting future. Hansra was named captain of the team following Bagai's retirement
Canada finished 2011 with a string of losses in both ODI's and Intercontinental Cup Matches to Afghanistan (in Toronto) and Ireland (in Dublin). Canada finished tied for first with T&T and Afghanistan at the Etihad Airways Summer Cricket Festival (in Toronto)
2012
Canada participated in the Caribbean T20 tournament again in 2012, losing all 4 matches. Thousands of Canadian's watched the matches on Rogers Sportsnet ONE giving the team unprecedented domestic exposure.
Following the tournament, Canada participated in the 2012 T20 Cricket World Cup Qualification Tournament in UAE. Canada finished 6th in the game and did not qualify for the 2012 T20 Cricket World Cup.
In April, Ravin Moorthy was elected the new president of Cricket Canada, succeeding Ranjit Saini. Moorthy was joined on the board by Vimal Hardat, Amit Joshi, Charles Pais and Calvin Clarke. At this meeting, Newfoundland and Labrador were admitted to the Cricket Canada family as the 10th provincial member of the organization. The Canadian women's team won the ICC America's Division 1 T20 Tournament in April 2012. This tournament served as the preliminary round of the ICC T20 Women's Cricket World Cup, which will be played in 2014 in India. Canada has advanced to the next round of qualification.
Canada hired former West Indian Cricketer Gus Logie as its national head coach in May 2012.
In November 2012, Canada's men's team will travel to the USA to play the United States in the K.A. Auty Cup. The trophy has been contested between Canada and USA since 1844, and it remains the world's oldest ongoing international sporting fixture
