Every weekend, from early April until September, groups dressed in white and wide-brimmed sunhats make their way to local grounds to test their mettle against an opposing 11: Vancouver’s cricketing contingent.
The fastest growth is in the junior ranks, ranging from 5 to 19 years old, where the excitement to represent Canada is feverish.
“Cricket is treated as part of our culture rather than a sport,” explains Anil Khanna, junior co-ordinator of Cricket B.C.
What is cricket?
Cricket bears some similarities to its closest relative, baseball, though it can seem alien to those unfamiliar with its rules and rhythms.
In cricket, the ball must bounce and can be hit anywhere on the oval field, even backwards. In general, each team bats and fields once, with a single inning lasting a defined number of six-ball overs, usually 50.
Then again, similarities abound. Eye-hand coordination is tremendously important in cricket and a strong throwing arm and swiftness across the field are also critical.
Junior cricket in B.C.
Anil Khana and his nephew Shivam | Photo by Carl Densem
On a given weekend, up to 800 junior cricketers head out to training programs throughout the Lower Mainland to learn cricketing skills and compete against neighbouring teams. Many of the juniors were born here in Canada although some have immigrated with their families and trace their roots back to cricket-playing nations like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and others.
Khanna oversees this growing group of juniors and has a long personal history in the sport. He began playing at three years old in Delhi, India, progressing from street cricket with neighbours to school competition and then to five years in the Delhi District Cricket Association. His favourite players include Sunil Gavasker, Vivian Richards and Sachin Tendulkar.
After immigrating to Canada in 1991, Khanna was pleasantly surprised by the amount of cricket being played by the British Columbia Mainland Cricket League. He joined the B.C. junior delegates to help organize tournaments and development programs.
“When I arrived in Vancouver, junior programs weren’t common,” Khanna says.
Inspired by the efforts of Jack Kyle, a long-time promoter of junior cricket, Khan involved himself in helping B.C. juniors go on to represent the province and, one day, the country.
“Juniors are the future of cricket, and it is important to make sure they have the right development programs to evolve into bigger, better players one day,” Khanna says.
For Canadian juniors, the next goal is qualifying for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh. To get there, they will need to overpower the USA and Bermuda.
Up and coming
For a group of Under-16 boys asked if they want to play for Canada, the answer was a resounding “Yes!” Some of the boys are well on their way, having played for the provincial team in various age groups.
“There are definitely many opportunities for these juniors to make it big,” explains Khanna, pointing out a number of upcoming inter-provincial, inter-school and club tournaments.
Despite these promising signs, he says, there is an urgent need for coaches to train young players and more competitive cricket at younger ages to raise the standard of play.
One shining example from the junior program is Elenko Emanuel. He has played for B.C. at the Under-15 level and was the top scorer in a recent match for the Surrey Dolphins, a team of Under-16 players started by Jack Kyle in 1966.
In the shortened 10-over game, he scored 25 runs with two boundaries (shots worth four runs each that bounce before crossing the boundary) hit straight down the ground. His effort guided the Dolphins to a win with just a single delivery to spare.
Vancouver cricket continues to shine out of the limelight but Khanna has big dreams for the future: an international fixture at a top-quality Vancouver cricket ground. This may still be some years off but the groundwork appears solid.
Anil Khanna and his nephew Shivam
Raj Sidhu and his son Aryan (age 5)
