Harris steps down for the final time

Joe Harris: heading back to the Caribbean © Getty Images Enlarge

Joe Harris, recalled to lead Canada in the recent ICC Six Nations Challenge, has again quit as captain, and this time he says it is for good.

Harris, who moved to Barbados last year, stepped into the breach at short notice, but all five matches in the tournament ended in defeat, and even allowing for the absence of John Davison - indisposed in Australia - it was disheartening stuff. Coupled with the performance last month of the side in the Under-19 World Cup - they were also winless - it's been a wretched month for Canadian cricket.

Harris, 38, made the announcement after Canada's defeat by Namibia in their final Six Nations match, adding that he had also played his final game for his country. He subsequently returned to Barbados.

"We are disappointed that we did not win a match," said Mike Henry, Canada's manager. "The effort was there and we played well enough to come out on top in at least two games, but we were not victorious and that was very disappointing for us. It's evident that we have not progressed after the World Cup. Some of our older and experienced players are past their best and we cannot depend on them any longer to help us win games."

Bryan Mauricette, who captained Canada in the 1979 World Cup and is now their coach, was equally scathing. "Our mental approach to batting at this level was absent," he fumed. "It was one of the worst displays of batting I have ever seen at this level of cricket."