Category: Player Profiles

John Davison to be inducted into Toronto Cricket Club Hall of Fame

M. MalikLeave a comment

Chances are that even the most hardcore International cricket fan would only be able to name a handful of Canadian cricketers.  Most likely, John Davison would be the first name that would come to mind.

John Davison CricInfo Profile

John Davison
John Davison

JD put himself and Canadian Cricket on the map with this fantastic knock against the West Indies in the 2003 World Cup hosted in South Africa.

John Davison vs West Indies 2003 World Cup (South Africa)

He made 111 from 76 balls (Canada only scored 202 and were bowled out in 44 overs).  [Scorecard]  A fantastic personal achievement but also a great inspiration for his team mates and the next generation of Canadian Cricketers.

JD grew up playing Cricket in Australia but playing for Canada allowed him ‘opportunities that he wouldn’t be able to achieve in Australia, like opening the batting (in a WC match).’  He was one of the first professional cricketers to play for Canada and quickly let his team mates know that being happy being ‘part-time cricketers’ wasn’t good enough if they wanted to compete on the big stage.

This Friday night, May 10th 2013, the Toronto Cricket Club will be inducting him into their Wall of Fame.  JD spent a few years at TCSCC later in his career as the club coach/playing professional.  John Davison will be honoured as well as long-time TCSCC member Chris Chappel and former member Les Pereira.

There are still a few spots remaining but you’ll have to act fast to get a ticket to what should be a great event and a great opportunity to celebrate the career of Canada’s first cricket star.  There will be plenty of Canadian Cricketers, including many that were inspired by Davison, or played with him over the the years.  Please see the attached invitation and contact Sandy Becher of the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club if you would like to register for this event.

Cricket Activity Wall Of Fame Dinner flyer

Bagai Nominated for Top Award

M. MalikLeave a comment

Canada’s captain, Ashish Bagai has been nominated for the ICC Affiliate/Associate Player of the year award.

Despite being hobbled by a knee injury for much of the year, Bagai has been stellar for Canada in T20 and ODI cricket scoring a healthy 576 runs in 13 innings at a healthy 52.36, which is well above his career averages.

Also nominated in the category are Richie Berrington, Muddassar Bukhari, Tom Cooper, Ryan ten Doeschate, Trent Johnston, Kevin O’Brien, Mohammad Shahzad, Samiullah Shenwari and Paul Stirling

via Cricket Canada.

CCTV Interview — Rizwan Cheema

M. Malik10 Comments
Full Name: Rizwan Cheema

DOB: 15/08/1978
Birthplace: Pakistan
Batting Style: RHB (Top Order)
Bowling Style: RA Medium
Domestic Club: PCB (TDCA)

I caught up with Rizwan Cheema before he left for Sri Lanka to take part in the T20 4 Nation Cup before team Canada heads to the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifying tournament in Dubai next month.

From the moment I started watching Cricket, my favourite player has always been Wasim Akram.  I loved the way he ran in and made the ball move in 3 different directions before it reached the batsman.  And I always got excited when he came into bat, in hopes that he would start launching sixes over the mid-wicket boundary.

Then Shahid Afridi came along.  It’s hard not to catch ‘Boom-Boom’ fever anytime he strolls in to bat.  After leading Pakistan to the T20 world cup finals victory with outstanding performances in the semi’s and final, he’s shown the world that he might just be able to reign in his natural aggressiveness and become a more mature player.

But, now I have a new favourite player.  His name is Rizwan Cheema and although the rest of the world might not know him (…yet), he is an entertainer just like the above mentioned Afridi and Akram.  His raw talent and ability to smash the ball all over the field have earned him the praise and respect of the international players he has played against.  He also bowls some handy medium pace and has a habit of picking up timely wickets.

Rizwan Cheema in action against Sri Lanka

‘Don’t look at the bowler, just look at the ball..’ Continue reading “CCTV Interview — Rizwan Cheema” →

U-19 Player Profile: Manny Aulakh

M. Malik4 Comments

Full Name: Maninderjit Singh Aulakh
DOB: 17/11/91
Birthplace: Bathinda, Punjab, India
Batting Style: RHB (Middle/Lower Order Bat)
Bowling Style: Right-Arm Fast-Medium
Favourite Shot: Cover Drive
Domestic Club: Richmond Cricket Club (BC)

Manny has just returned from a 7 week training program in Sri Lanka.  He is expected to be an important part of the Canadian U-19 team next month in New Zealand during the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup.

When did you start playing Cricket?

I started playing when I was about 10 or 11 in India.  Nothing organized, just playing with a tennis ball in the street with my brother.

How did you start playing Cricket in Canada?

I came to Richmond, BC with my family in 2004.  My brother joined the Richmond Cricket Club soon after.  One day, I went to a game with him and one of the players didn’t show up, so I took his place.  I only faced 2 balls and didn’t get to bowl, but I really enjoyed the game.  That was the first time I played hard ball cricket.

After that I decided I wanted to play.  I went to all the club practices and started out playing in the lowest division (5th Division) in May 2006.

When did you start playing with the U-19 squad?

My first game was this past summer in King City vs Bahamas.  We won quite easily and I got my first wicket!  It was great.

You were recently in Sri Lanka.  Tell me about that experience.

Before I left for Sri Lanka, I met with Coach Pubudu Dassanayake, he told me what to focus on when I got there.  I was in Sri Lanka for 7 weeks.  I started with Pacific club but then I moved to Tamil Union.  Basically, I worked really hard on my fitness during net sessions, running, gym sessions, pool sessions and we even had a bowling session with Chaminda Vaas.

What did you learn while you were there?

Sri Lanka was an awesome experience for me.  I found out how hard it is to become a professional cricketer. I also learned that Cricket is more than just physical talent.  You need to develop the mental part.  You need to have a good cricket brain.

What is next for you?

Right now, I’m fully concentrating on the tour to West Indies next week.  After that we are going to New Zealand for the Under 19 World Cup.

In the ICC qualifiers during the summer, I was mainly played in the team as a bowler but recently I’ve been working on my batting as well.  I’m looking forward to it.

What do you think of your chances in the World Cup?

We have to take one game at a time. We have a very good team and I’m confident that we’ll give a tough time to team’s like Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Bloggers Note: You’ve got to love the confidence.  What do you think?  Can Canada pull off an upset next month in New Zealand?

Let us know in the comments section below or hit us up on twitter.