Following its debut at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup this summer, Canada has returned to action in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 in the Netherlands, now under new leadership and amid a search for a new head coach.
Nicholas Kirton has taken over the captaincy from Saad Bin Zafar, while Cricket Canada is actively seeking a new head coach after Pubudu Dassanayake’s contract was not renewed when it expired at the end of July.
Dassanayake, who hails from Sri Lanka and has represented both Sri Lanka and Canada as a player, was in his second tenure as Canada’s head coach. His coaching resume also includes stints with Nepal (twice) and the U.S.
The decisions regarding the changes in both coach and captain were made by Cricket Canada’s board of directors, according to Cricket Canada GM Ingleton Liburd. Earlier this year, Canada began their League 2 campaign on a high note, securing four consecutive wins in Dubai by defeating Scotland and the host United Arab Emirates twice. However, in their recent tri-series in The Hague, Canada faced setbacks, losing to both the host Netherlands and the U.S.
The top four teams from the eight-nation League 2, after the conclusion of play in 2026, will advance to a 10-team World Cup qualifier that will send four teams to the 50-over Cricket World Cup. The bottom four teams will have another chance through the World Cup Qualifier Playoff.
The 2027 World Cup has been expanded to include 14 teams, but 10 of those spots are already claimed by co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, along with the top eight full ICC members based on one-day rankings.
Canada, which last participated in the World Cup in 2011, is currently ranked 16th in the world for one-day internationals and 23rd in T20s.