Spinners hold key for Canada

Canada qualified for the World Cup by finishing third in the ICC Trophy at home in Toronto, beating Scotland in the critical third/fourth place play-off match. They last qualified in 1979, finishing second in the preceding ICC Trophy (beating Bangladesh in the process), and played three rather one-sided matches against England, Pakistan and Australia. The highlight of the tournament came in the match against Australia, when opening bat Glenroy Sealy hit Rodney Hogg for four consecutive boundaries.

In 2003, they are guaranteed six matches, being in pool B with Bangladesh, Kenya, Sri Lanka, New Zealand West Indies and South Africa. Since the ICC Trophy, the team has met with considerable success, finishing runners-up at the Americas Cup, defeating West Indies A in a three-match home one-day series, and winning two matches in the Red Stripe Bowl. Their build-up has not been without difficulty however.

Financial problems means that there will be little opportunity for the team to gain any match practice prior to the World Cup, as a planned tour of Namibia was cancelled. Several squad members have been playing in the southern hemisphere, but most of the team will fly from a Canadian winter straight to the World Cup, with only two warm-up matches scheduled.

The other area of difficulty lies with the coach. Australian Jeff Thomas coached the team through the ICC Trophy, and in their subsequent successes. But in a change that has baffled many observers, Thomas was sacked in December to be replaced by West Indian A coach Gus Logie. Whilst Logie brings much ability and experience to the job, Thomas had a proven record with the team, and by all accounts was well liked and respected by the squad. The effect of this late change on the squad's morale remains to be seen, but it is unlikely to be beneficial.

The Canadian squad is a varied group, containing a mix of home-grown talent and those who learned their cricket elsewhere. The squad emphasises experience, with an average age of 31, with only two players under 25. Age and fitness may be a factor, with Harris, Fazil Samad, and Joseph in their late 30s.

Five players have first-class experience, and will form the core of the team. The only player currently playing first-class cricket, however, is John Davidson, who plays for South Australia. An off-spinning all-rounder, he was born in British Columbia but grew up in Australia. He is having a good season down under, and with home-grown talent Barry Seebaran will spearhead Canada's spin attack. Seebaran looked to be the classiest of the team's bowling at the ICC Trophy, and it will be interesting to see how he will fare against stronger opponents. Unfortunately, South African wickets are not likely to favour spin, so the pace attack will have to play an important role.

The opening bowling will likely lie with 39 year-old Davis Joseph, and Sri-Lankan born Sanjay Thuraisingam. Thuraisingam had a superb ICC Trophy, and will enjoy the pace and bounce of South African wickets. Joseph is vastly experienced and can trouble the best (he dismissed Tendulkar for a low score in the Commenwealth Games). Austin Codrington is expected to play the role of a third seamer, but in general the role of fifth bowler will be shared around. Joe Harris, Nick De Groot, and Ian Billcliff may also be asked to turn their arms over. The difficulty for Canada will be maintaining the length, line and accuracy to contain through 50 overs. If all their top bowlers hit form, then they will have a reasonable attack, but this seems unlikely given the lack of match practice prior to the tournament.

Joe Harris, Nick De Groot and Fazil Samad all have a handful of first-class matches under their belts in West Indies domestic cricket, although it has been more than a decade since Harris or Samad played at that level. Nick De Groot was thought to have much promise as a youngster but dropped out of contention for Guyana in 2001. Ian Billcliff is the only player to make a first-class hundred (in New Zealand domestic cricket) and the batting will rely heavily on these four, supported by Ishwar Maraj, who showed considerable ability in the ICC Trophy. John Davidson may be used in a pinch-hitting role, and Asish Bagai, the young wicket-keeper is also a tidy bat. The batting as a whole, however, has been very inconsistent, and the ability to build an innings has all too often been absent. It will require some real application, and perhaps some good fortune to avoid embarrassment against the stronger opposition.

The fielding has steadily improved, and the presence of Asish Bagai in the team as wicket-keeper highlights the talent that domestic Canadian cricket can produce. Bagai was thought by some observers to be the best keeper on view during the Red Stripe Bowl, and will in all likelihood impress at the World Cup. John Davidson and Austin Codrington are both outstanding fielders, but some of the older players may struggle in demanding conditions.

Joe Harris is perhaps the ideal choice to lead this varied squad - Indian born, West Indian in cricket experience, and a capable and thoughtful captain, he will have to meet the challenge of putting the difficulties of the last few weeks behind the squad. Canada are a team of undoubted talent, and have the potential to embarrass a team that under-estimates them. On form they should give Bangladesh and Kenya a good game but the lack of preparation will make an upset difficult. Against New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and particularly South Africa, the Canadians will struggle, and if they can improve on the results of 1979 will be well pleased.

Prediction:
Likely last in the group without winning a game; a win against Bangladesh or Kenya would be a huge boost for cricket in Canada.

Players to watch:
Barry Seebaran, classy left-arm spinner and Ashish Bagai, wicket-keeper, both of whom learned their cricket in Canada. Look for both to demonstrate they are capable performers at the highest level.