Canadian cricket- crunch time is here

Canada's cricketers have done the nation proud. Junior and senior players have qualified from their respective tournaments. The senior team qualified for the 2003 World Cup in South Africa but faces a battle to adequately prepare to compete against the best in the world. The U-19 team similarly won the tournament in Bermuda and will lead the Americas into the World Cup in New Zealand in January 2002.

The irony in these successes however, is that Canada does not have the finances to adequately prepare our cricketers for international competition. Canada has now been forced to turn down two invitations from the West Indies Cricket Board. We have been forced to withdraw from both the West Indies U-19 competition and from the 2001 Red Stripe competition in Jamaica, because of crippling costs in preparation for, and in staging the International Cricket Council Trophy competition in June and July 2001 in Metro Toronto.

Hosting of the ICC Trophy 2001 was predicated on the staging of the five Sahara Cup games and extra support from India, Pakistan and IMG/TWI. Cancellation of the planned two years' events and the inability to replace these games have had horrific implications for Canadian junior and senior cricket development programmes. Failure to attract any sponsorship, private, public or personal has not improved our chances or choices.

Canada on December 16, 2000 indicated that " CANADA CANNOT HOST THE ICCT 2001 WITHOUT Financial ASSISTANCE.." and also that "Canada shall be forced .... to formally withdraw from any plans to host ICCT 2001 within a matter of days." (A repeat is very unlikely.)

Canada is in worse shape now. We have requested assistance from several sources and we shall need your assistance to get Canadian cricket to the World Cups in 2002, 2003, ... 2007, for starters. How can you help? Get involved. Call your Federal and Provincial Parliamentary representatives for renewed support. Your donations to the Canadian Cricket Association are federally tax-deductible. We need your help now! Sponsor a player or a team. Volunteers are vitally needed in fundraising and in other activities.

Canada, Namibia, Holland and Kenya NEED extra support for training, coaching and player support from their ICC Associate and Full Member countries if they are to be competitive and to provide a marketable on-field product! We must not and cannot field a devalued product. $250,000 per Associate cannot cover minimum costs: in fact several times that amount is essential even for nominal preparation or for success!

Scotland was forced to go to the 1999 World Cup without a sponsor! Canada competed in the ICCT 2001 without a sponsor and without adequate financing. Scotland at least could drive to the World Cup in1999. Canada and the others cannot drive to South Africa and to New Zealand, however. We face tough unavoidable choices. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going!" Let's go Canada! World Cups' Funds need your active support.