The International Council of Cricket’s motive to globalize cricket during the 2024 T20 World Cup turned out to be successful, with various associate nations showcasing their calibre on the big stage. What was expected to be a dim encounter in the tournament’s curtain raiser turned out the other way, courtesy of the United States of America (USA) and Canada.
The two teams were part of Group A along with Ireland, Pakistan, and India, which was often seen as devoid of a twist, with two Asian Giants in place. However, the Men in Green failed to make it to the Super Eight while Canada was well in the contest after stunning full-member Ireland in Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York.
In this piece, we shall surface the positives the Canadian cricket team yielded in the ensuing T20 World Cup. 
Grit, Determination and stunning a full-member nation
When the Canada side stockpiled 194/5 in 20 overs on their event opener against the USA, there was a feeling that this team could bat. The USA ain’t a poor bowling unit. One can look at Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Corey Anderson, and Harmeet Singh, among other troubled teams like Pakistan, India and South Africa. But one has to credit where it’s due.
The top five of Canada look stunning, with Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Pargas Singh and Shreyas Movva occupying the positions. These names carried them through Qualifiers to help the North American side cement a berth in the T20 World Cup.
Their score of 137/7 against Ireland was the highest on a tricky Nassau County pitch that attracted critics throughout the eight matches the venue hosted in ten days. Teams such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Bangladesh, among others, struggled to surpass the 100-run mark. And out of nowhere, the Canadian side showed how to produce runs on a wicket like these.
One has to credit the 75-run fifth wicket stand between Shreyas Movva and Nicholas Kirton that helped them resurge from 53/4 in the ninth overs against the Irish camp. The latter missed a fifty by a run in that game, and overall, they dwarfed Ireland by 12 runs in a close encounter. This was also a huge victory for them as Canada defeated a full-member nation with Test cricket status.
Increased ability to overcome pressure
Gone are the days when associate nations would stumble under pressure and throw away wickets. Although it’s prevalent on some occasions, the increased rise in franchise tournaments has laid a foundation for talent exposure across the globe. Eventually, helping in their preparation. Canada’s cricket team could’ve just benefited from these rapid developments in the T20 format worldwide with players such as Nicholas Kirton, Aaron Johnson, and Dillon Heyliger, among others, learning trades by interacting with international players, coaches and staff.
One of the positives for this team was their mindset and the ability to overcome pressure. In their first game against the USA, the Saad Bin Zafar-led community failed to defend a 195-run target against co-hosts USA in the Grand Prairie Stadium. However, they quickly bounced back in the next game by defending 137 against Ireland in New York. This was almost the same Irish set-up that chokeslammed England during the T20 World Cup 2022.
“Very proud moment for the team. The way Kirton and Movva batted, we knew we had a good total to defend. We needed a good performance from the bowling unit, and I am so proud of my bowlers for putting their hands up and delivering,” skipper Bin Zafar expressed during the post-match press conference.
Also, one has to appreciate Johnson’s half-century against a top-tier Pakistan attack. He lacked support from the opposite end, with wickets tumbling, yet managed to push the total past the 100-run mark with a mesmerizing fifty.
Contributors throughout the team
Although the Canada cricket team failed to gel as a unit throughout the group stages, they took every game as a learning curve and ensured that mistakes were diminished by rectifying them practically. The side had contributors throughout their line-up, with two batters, Movva and Kirton, averaging 35.50 and 33.66 under challenging conditions. Even Johnson and Dhaliwal displayed spark at the top. The former smashed a fifty against the USA, while the latter notched up a half-century against Pakistan.
Although their bowling unit has been let down occasionally, Dillon Heyliger has to be their top prospect under pressure. The pacer extracted five wickets from three matches at a bowling average of eleven. Their next best was Jeremy Gordon, snaring three scalps at a bowling average 25.66.
Overall, it’s safe to say that the Canadian side had plenty to be happy about from this T20 World Cup edition. They’be looking to cover the major voids in their unit, recover and come back strong in a couple of years.
