Winnipeggers look to make their mark on international cricket

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This article was published 31/08/2023 (1100 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It might be Canada’s best chance at making its mark in cricket, and Amarpal Kaur is a big reason why.

The Canadian women’s national cricket team will take off for Los Angeles this weekend where it will play in the ICC International Cricket Council) America’s T20 qualifier from Sept. 4-11. The Canadians will face off against the U.S., Brazil and Argentina in a double round-robin tournament, which will see the winner advance to the next stage, a 10-team global tournament in early 2024 that will determine which countries qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Canada has struggled to reach the global qualifier, last appearing in 2013. The America’s T20 qualifier was then terminated until 2018 and the United States has dominated the tournament ever since. The Canadian women have a feeling this year could be a different story.

“We have a very good chance,” said Durriya Shabbir, director of the Canadian women’s national team. “We have a good team, a good combination of young and experienced players on our team. Like Amarpal, she’s an immigrant — she came from India — she learned her cricket and honed her skills in a very competitive environment out there, so we have that advantage with us.”

Indeed, Kaur, 25, is an all-rounder, meaning she can bat and bowl, and will be crucial to the Canadians’ success as the team’s vice-captain. She is also one of 14 players on the team (all immigrants), and was born in the Bathinda District of Punjab, immigrating to Winnipeg in 2019 at the wish of her parents.

She was a standout cricket player in India, playing since she was nine and going on to represent the Punjab senior women’s team for eight years. Now she’ll represent Canada for the first time after serving a three-year probation period mandated by the ICC.

“Me and my brothers were playing when we went to school. We had one period for sports so my coach pushed me to play cricket. He said, ‘You have good power,’ so that inspired me (a lot).

“(When I arrived in Winnipeg), I spoke with one of the coaches who knows me from India and they said (I) have a big opportunity to represent (my) Canadian country, so my first focus was on my paperwork. Now I got my permanent residence so I’m good to go.”

Kaur is joined by fellow Winnipegger Vijayani Vithanage, a product of Sri Lanka.

Vithanage, 47, is the oldest player on the national squad and will don the Canadian flag for a second time in the America’s T20 qualifier. Vithanage immigrated to Winnipeg in 1995 and took a long hiatus from the sport, picking it back up in 2011 at her usual spot as a bowler.

She made a name for herself as a hard-rolling bowler in her younger years but has aged like fine wine as she’s begun to throw with more finesse (spin) in recent years and maintained her efficiency.

“Cricket is my passion,” Vithanage said. “It’s very exciting to represent our city from another country.”

The opportunity may have never materialized for either Vithanage or Kaur if Ron Dipchand, the executive director of Cricket Manitoba, and Garvin Budhoo, the organization’s president, never asked them to play in Winnipeg’s men’s leagues.

Dipchand recruited Vithanage to a premier men’s division in 2011. In 2012, she won Bowler of the Year.

“In Manitoba, (cricket) is becoming more popular now,” Vithanage said. “There’s a lot of men’s clubs, almost 50 teams. But if a girl has interest, she has to join a men’s league in Manitoba.”

Kaur was recruited much quicker, joining teams such as the Royal Kings and Cosmos in elite men’s leagues as soon as she arrived in the Manitoba capital. She said playing with the men, as she did in India, has served as a boost in confidence.

“When I came for Winnipeg, at that time there was no girls’ cricket and there were no other girls playing with me. I always played with boys because there’s no girls team in cricket, so I always played for one or two clubs,” Kaur said.

“This is my first time and I have a lot of experience so I’m always looking forward to winning the games. I give my full 100 per cent to the team with my experience,” she continued. “There’s a good opportunity if we qualify, we’d have more opportunity.”

Indeed, an appearance in the World Cup would mean wonders for cricket in Canada, said Shabbir.

“It would be tremendous, a tremendous boost to the sport in this country,” she said. “Even the Canadian men’s team has been struggling to (qualify for the World Cup), so that itself would be a big positive for us. And in terms of attracting more females to the sport.

“I think the more it is publicized, the more people get to watch that the Canadian women’s team is doing well, I think it will just attract more women to the sport.”

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jfreysam