After playing indoors throughout the winter, these tours provided an opportunity to return to an outdoor setting, perform in front of enthusiastic crowds, as we saw in Nepal, and find a rhythm before matches with more serious ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 implications.
Several players have been performing well and will look to get more settled for these crucial matches.
What is the ICC CWC League 2 competition?
From 2019 to 2022, Canada was part of the Challenger League group in an attempt to regain its ODI status. After finishing at the top of the table, Canada qualified for the playoffs in March and April. By defeating Papua New Guinea, Canada secured its place in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, which is the second phase of qualifying for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The Netherlands, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Scotland, the USA, Canada, and the UAE are the eight nations competing in this phase. According to the official ICC rankings, last updated on February 10th, Scotland is the highest-ranked team in the competition at 11th, followed by the Netherlands at 14th, and Nepal at 15th. Canada, having just regained ODI status, currently has no ranking points.
Several tri-series events will take place, with Canada's first being against the UAE and Scotland. Each nation will have the opportunity to host three series and play six series away from home. Canada's first hosting opportunity will be in September against Nepal and Oman.
The 2027 ODI World Cup will feature fourteen teams, including co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, as well as the other eight highest-ranked sides in the world.
The remaining four teams will be determined by a World Cup qualifier involving the top four teams from League 2, four other qualifiers, and teams who missed out through the rankings.
How did Canada prepare?
Canada's overall performance was mixed. In Hong Kong, Canada prioritised youth exposure, resulting in two wins out of three matches, but unfortunately lost in the final of the tri-series, which also included Malaysia. During the tour of Nepal, Canada lost the bilateral series against the Nepal senior side 3-0, although two of the matches were closely contested. This was followed by a series of matches against Nepal A, which Canada won 2-1.
The primary objective was to escape the winter weather at home and participate in outdoor competitions in sunny conditions. The primary objective was to escape the winter weather at home and participate in outdoor competitions in sunny conditions. This goal was successfully achieved.
Who performed well with the bat?
During the past month, wicket-keeper batter Shreyas Movva stood out with his modern and agile style, which included scoops and reverse sweeps. He scored 238 runs in six innings, averaging 59.50 with a strike rate of 102.15.
Pargat Singh, who played in only four innings, was also impressive, scoring 220 runs at a run-a-ball. He played a majestic knock of 126 off 113 with 10 fours and five sixes against Hong Kong. Navneet Dhaliwal will play a crucial role in stitching together the middle overs for Canada.
He finished as the top run-getter over the course of these two tours, scoring 276 runs in seven innings despite a slow start in Hong Kong. Dhaliwal averaged 39.43 with the bat at a strike rate of 80.23. Although he is typically an opener, he had some success in the middle-order against Nepal A, including 80 off 76 while batting at No. 4, which helped guide Canada to that series victory.
During their time at the crease, Aaron Johnson and Nicholas Kirton both scored over 200 runs. Johnson consistently provided brisk starts with a strike rate of 115.32 over eight innings, hitting 15 sixes. To illustrate Johnson's approach, 202 of his 256 runs came from boundaries.
Kirton, on the other hand, played the role of anchor in the middle of the batting order, scoring 208 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 74.82.
It is worth noting that Yuvraj Samra made a strong impression during his brief stint with the team. He played only three innings but scored an excellent 124 off 137, including eight fours and six sixes, against Hong Kong.
Who was the standout performer with the ball?
Captain Saad Bin Zafar was the main bowler for Canada, taking 11 wickets in 71 overs across eight innings while conceding just 3.96 runs per over. His left-arm orthodox bowling is a valuable asset to Canada's bowling attack, and he will need to maintain this level of performance. Bin Zafar also made useful contributions with the bat, scoring over 100 runs.
Canada's opening pace bowler Dillon Heyliger finished as the team's second-leading wicket-taker, with 10 wickets in seven innings at an economy rate of 4.80. But he gave away 28 wides in 55.5 overs, equivalent to a wide every two overs.
Pacers Uday Bhagwan and Ishwarjot Sohi took 17 wickets between them but conceded at a combined rate of 6.51 runs per over. Sohi appeared to be more effective as a first or second change with the older ball than when opening the bowling.
Harsh Thaker is a valuable addition to the team as he can contribute to all three vital aspects: batting, bowling, and fielding. Although he struggled with the bat, Thaker bowled 56.1 overs of off-spin at an economy rate of 4.84 and took seven wickets.
It is important to mention Shahid Ahmadzai, who bowled 58 overs in both tours and had the best economy rate of 3.47 runs per over. He was also the most disciplined bowler for Canada in terms of extras, conceding only one run in wides.
Nikhil Dutta played in all three matches against Nepal A, taking four wickets in 36 overs, after only bowling in two of the first six matches.
It is encouraging that both pacers Ammar Khalid and Kaleem Sana made their returns to the national side against Nepal A on the bowling front.
What is the schedule for Canada's tour to the UAE?
Mar. 1 at 12:30 a.m. EST: Canada vs. Scotland in Dubai
Mar. 5 at 12:30 a.m. EST: Canada vs. U.A.E. in Dubai
Mar. 7 at 12:30 a.m. EST: Canada vs. Scotland in Dubai