Pick ups the ante with new role

These are exciting times for Canada: elevation to playing full ODIs, a full calendar of international cricket and a second visit to the World Cup looming. And now their preparations for next year's big tournament have been boosted by the appointment of Andy Pick, the former England A fast bowler and coach of the England Under-19s, who will join Canada on a year-long sabbatical.

The appointment is a risk-free one for Pick, who has the option to come back to his Under-19 role after a year. "It's a forward way of looking from the ECB," he says. "It's great - because there can be no regrets, and an opportunity to take a team to the World Cup very, very, very rarely happens."

Getting the right professional in - Pick fended off more than 40 candidates and didn't even require a second interview - is a nod to the fact that Canada are taking the World Cup seriously. And they are delighted to have him.

"He has got a very special enthusiasm," says the Canadian board's president Ben Sennik, "and is looking for a challenge." Just as well, really, as turning Canada into a team capable of battling with England, New Zealand and Kenya in their World Cup group, is going to be no mean feat.

For a start, they are all amateurs: "While the voluntary aspect is fantastic in some respects," he says, "you can't always make the demands of them that you would like to make. Still, I'm hoping to instil some professionalism in them in terms of fitness, lifestyle and commitment - and to make playing for Canada special."

The big worry, in fact, is trying to bring together a squad of 40, who are scattered across Canada and beyond - with some of the large contingent of ex-pats living as far away as West Indies, New Zealand and Australia. It's something that Pick has accepted won't happen but, ever the resourceful thinker, he is looking for solutions. "My biggest challenge will be the geography and the ability of the players," he admits. "I wanted them to practise together as much as possible, but it's not going to be feasible."

Pick is ready to tackle the limitations and work around them. "I'm going across with a big ECB-based list of what I want to do and I will be met with a Canadian list of what is feasible - and we'll work towards to each other. I wanted to get the best players together in Toronto, but I was told it wasn't feasible I think I'll end up flying out to the players."

While 50 per cent of the 40-man squad are based in Toronto, where Pick is moving, and its state of Ontario: "That, at least, will give me the chance to catch up with them." Indeed, he doesn't know any of the players, and knows only what he has read of them on websites. But he will bring a keen mind, and an open one, too.

"I have no preconceived ideas," he says. "Initially, I'll have to take a lot of advice from people who know the players. I won't go in there and stamp my feet, I will be guided. The start of my opinions for making up my mind ability-wise and commitment-wise will start in Antigua in May."

The trip to the Caribbean, to play Bermuda and Kenya is just the start of a bumper schedule of ODIs against the other associate countries which are being crammed in prior to the World Cup next March. "The ICC have injected substantial sums of money into the associate countries and there's quite a calendar of international cricket, including 12 days in May, South Africa in October and then full-on international cricket - it's not a problem."

Nor is another part of Pick's remit: to smooth the progression from Under-15s to Under-17s and through to the senior levels. "Quite a lot of my job here will be having a look at the system and the pathways and how they will develop, and also integrating the provinces. It's a big challenge."

A big challenge, indeed, but he's just the right man to do it - having worked extensively with England's juniors. "The Under-19s are used to being big fish in a small pool, but it's harder at senior level," he acknowledges. "They're not competing against a few, they're competing against millions.

"It's easy to come in with natural talent at junior level but then they need to realise that at senior level they are in competition with everybody. Take Alastair Cook, for example. [Pick's protégé during his days as Bedford school's cricket professional] He's now competing with Marcus Trescothick - they have to compete on fitness levels and mental strength."