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So quickly another winter season has come and gone. With the world cup winding to a close, the C&DCL can now look to its own season set to get underway in just under a month. As always, the burning question when the season starts is who will win the Nolan Cup. 7 teams will vie for it, and with a 12 game season there will be little margin for error. It will be hard to match the absolute drama as a tied match between St. John's and Cavaliers I led to a championship for Predators. The champs will start the season as favorites but fresh in their minds will be the thought that since St. John's in 2002, no team has been able to repeat as Nolan Cup champions.
Predators
Predators had a breakout season in 2005 and rode that to their first Nolan Cup championship in 2006. With every team gunning for them it will be hard to repeat, but youth and enthusiasm will carry them a long way. Looking forward to the season we sat down with last season's Accutech Engineering MVP Dev Sharma to get his thought's on the season ahead.
Predators had a great season last year capturing the Nolan Cup, how do you rate the teams' chance of repeating?
As we've seen the last few years retaining championship takes much more effort than winning it. That said however, the boys are quite confident and have matured with one more year of cricketing experience which we hope will take us a step ahead of the other teams.
You've hoisted the Nolan Cup for the past 3 years in a row with 3 different clubs, but have not had a chance at the John Ross Robertson trophy. Can this Predators team capture the John Ross this summer?
Ever since we won ACA League Championship we have been doing lots of preparation for the John Ross tournament. In addition to indoor practice we have had lots of team meetings to help understand our strengths and our weaknesses. We've also had more than a few sessions dedicated to improving our mental toughness. I think these young boys have it in them to beat any team and we will go into the tournament with that in mind. For me, winning the John Ross is a top goal and if we do it will be the best time to hang up my boots.
Having played in Vancouver as well on your off weekends, do you have to alter your game in anyway to cater to the different leagues?
I feel that the pitches in Vancouver are far more sporting and are fun to bowl on. With that said there if of course no margin of error due to the fast outfield and more depth in batting lineups but that's what motivates me to concentrate more on my bowling.
You had a lot of success with the bat in your first few seasons here but last season you seemed to be more focused on your bowling. Did you make a consious effort to take your bowling to the next level
Predators is a side with a lot of depth in batting compared to some of my previous teams. From that perspective I've eased back on my batting focus and put more of my efforts into my bowling.
Which team is the biggest threat to Predators hopes of repeating?
When the season starts there will be 7 teams all gunning to win the championship, and in truth they all have a good chance. I have my eyes on Crown this year to turn more than a few heads
2006 Key Performer
Dev Sharma was a deserving MVP winner
2007 Player to Watch
Sharma was dominant last year and looks to be the man to deliver once again in 2007
The Bottom Line
It will be another good season for Predators but with the JRR in the forefront and a lot of cricket ahead of some of the top players, it will be a tough go to repeat.
St. John's
You could cut the tension with a knife as Anthony Haddad clawed his team back from certain defeat to within one run of the Nolan Cup, but when Anand Padmanbhan removed his middle stump, a season of promise melted away in an instant. A cold dose of reality for the most decorated club of the last 20 years but last seasons best allrounder figures it will just motivate his boys more. We chatted with Sumit Thapliyal about the season to come.
St. John's lost the Nolan Cup by one run last season, what's it like to lose a championship by such a small margin?
Well it is always tough to lose a game, but to lose a championship the way we did was painful. But it's all part of the game and was fun.
When a team has a winning tradition amongst its core players, do you start every season with the expectation that you will win the Nolan Cup?
I don't think we start the season with Nolan Cup in mind, but just take one game at a time. The winning tradition (and Patel) just (forcefully) motivates us to always play extremely competitive cricket.
Despite not winning the championship you picked up the best all rounder award. How did you rate your season?
The season was good and I was mostly satisfied with the performance but I always believe that performing in a winning cause is more important and I don't think I did that well enough. The Canasia game comes to mind where I think I batted fairly well, but didn't finish the job.
You have some overseas players coming into the side this year, what do you think these players can bring to your team?
New players are always good for the team and the league. I am not sure but I hope they enjoy playing the game as much as we do and can enhance the competition within the team. Players with better skills also help in improving the overall standard of cricket in the league, so I am looking forward to the new additions.
You attended the CCA selection camp and represented Alberta at the IPT in Vancouver in 2005. Does knowledge of what it takes to succeed at the next level motivate you to keep improving your game?
It was a wonderful opportunity to got to Toronto and participate in the CCA selection camp. I really did learn a lot and exposure like that helps you to see where the cricket standards are at the national level compared to Alberta. I don't think we are too far behind but we sure need to improve on couple of major things, fielding and fitness. I also think that the attitude when you go from Alberta has to be positive and aggressive. Believe you belong there!
The IPT was fun and the team we had was really good. We were competitive for the most part except the first game and the loss to Ontario was a heartbreaker. But live and learn and I am sure if we get another opportunity as a province to play in a tournament like that, we will be better prepared.
How do you see your side faring this season?
I am sure we will be competitive as usual and play to win as there is no other way to play, not for us.
2006 Key Performer
Sumit Thapliyal was the leagues top all rounder and the most prize wicket on the team
2007 Player to Watch
Rajat Karval has flirted with promise for 2 straight seasons and should finally break out this year
The Bottom Line
The core of this team manages to get the job done but needs a more consistent performance from the young guns to make a run at the Nolan cup
United I
The last 10 years have seen 3 teams fight for the Nolan Cup, getting used to contending it was a shock to see United finish a distant 3rd last year. Manzoor Chaudhary knows a 5 loss season will not cut it this season so we checked in with him to see how things were going.
You had a couple of tough losses early on last year and were playing catch up from early on. Is it too hard to overcome a slow start in such a short season?
Its definitely tougher if you lose a few in the start but with the league being so competitive you never know until the last game. Hopefully we get a better start this year.
Some of your fellow premier division clubs routinely use overseas players during our season. As a team is that something you look at actively pursuing?
Our club does not believe in flying in players from other places to win games. We would rather win the players we have, the victory is that much sweeter.
Last season you officially took over as the city team skipper. After playing in the team for so many years, what was it like to take over such a talented group?
Well Its always fun to represent the city, you get a chance to play with all the top players in the league. To lead the talented group is definitely an honor. Last year sweeping Edmonton 3-0 was a cherry on top.
You attended the CCA selection camp and represented Alberta at the IPT in
Vancouver in 2005. Does knowledge of what it takes to suceed at the next
level motivate you to keep improving your game?
Definitely once you have played at the level you have an understanding of what it takes, which helps you set high goals.
Your club has a team that currently plays in Division 3 in 20/20 competitions. Do you see that team one day playing in Division 2?
I would like to see them in Division 2 next season I think by end of this year they will be ready to compete in 50 over games. In 20/20 United has been the champions for 2 years it was in effect so I would like to carry on the good record.
How do you see your side faring this season?
We got a good group of guys with a lot of experience on our side. Our goal, like all the other clubs, is to finish on top.
2006 Key Performer
Basheer Islam had his best year with the bat lower down keeping his team in games
2007 Player to Watch
Manzoor Chaudhary was among Calgary's top batsmen last year but needs to be at the top of his game to keep his team going
The Bottom Line
Always competitive, need to avoid a slow start to stay in the hunt this time.
Cavaliers I
Last years tie with St. John's in the last game of the season show's the teams character and determination, and they often drop games by the smallest of margins showing that they are just a step out of becoming and elite club. We went right to the top and talked to club president Mukul Ahuja about the Cavaliers Club and his team Cavaliers I
Your club has grown to now encompass 4 seperate teams much of which can be attributed to your leadership skills. What do you think is holding back some of our other clubs from adding new teams?
Not much really. Several clubs have done so at various levels such as Glenmore, Crown and United and I hope more and more clubs go this route. From our experience it is important to have a recruitment pool (community, schools/university, group of friends who want to play together, etc.) and strong leadership in place where existing club members are willing to take on the managerial or captaincy roles in the new team. That can be a challenge at times, but with the amount of new players seeking out and joining cricket every year, adding depth is certainly achievable by most clubs in Calgary.
But most importantly, in order for it to happen it must be part of an overall club philosophy. As a club we are open to anyone who wants to join the club and contribute regardless of ability or background, and in order to make this happen we believe that more playing opportunities must be made available for a wider range of skill levels within the club. It adds loyalty and a host of intangible benefits such as camaraderie and volunteerism. I fully support and hope all the clubs in Calgary grow bigger, deeper and stronger with multiple teams, bench strength and a strong support structure within all clubs. In the end, stronger clubs will make for stronger divisions, a stronger league and better overall cricket organization.
You finished a determined 4th last year, just percentage points out of 3rd, how did you rate last year?
Last year was a challenging year where we aimed to finish at least in the top 3 with a goal to secure a super league spot and fell just short of the mark. We had several changes to deal with early in the year with the move of key players Ram and Faisal to our 2nd team, and with our 2005 MVP Chacko relocating to USA. I thought our chemistry and preparation was very good throughout the season. In our second half we lost the services of our opening bowler Daniyal (move to Azerbaijan) as well as Chris (travel) so that left us always looking for a couple of different youngsters each game to take spots, we ended up losing a few close ones and played one famous tie in the last game of the year, which summed up our challenging and exciting season which we will look to improve on for 2007.
Talking about the famous tie, in subzero temperatures Cavaliers gutted out a thrilling draw against St. John's to deny them the Nolan Cup. Does that rivalry motivate Cavaliers I more than other teams?
It was a great feeling to fight through and get that last wicket when the scores were level, but I'm still a bit disappointed that we didn't win that game outright. Regardless of what that game meant to St. John's, going in to the game we simply talked about giving it our best in tough conditions and fighting till the end to win. We have a knack of playing hard-fought games to the wire, and history is proof that we generally tend to play our best cricket in the second half and towards the end of the season. No one will deny that that there is that extra spring in our step on the morning of a St. John's-Cavaliers game, whether it is due to a history of close games and controversies, or the similarity in our style of play, it's certainly a rivalry that is enjoyed by everyone including the crowd. What would sport be without rivalries?
You've had a chance to captain Shajib Darain for a few seasons now, last year he picked up the batting title and is one of the top players in the league, how far can he go as player?
Shajib really came into his own as a batsman last year, and by winning the batting title at age 21 he showed signs of maturity and poise beyond his age. He made the #4 spot his domain as he consistently forged big partnerships for us in the middle overs, and is quickly becoming the heart and soul of this team. He has represented Calgary and Alberta at all youth and senior levels for many years now, and I think over the next couple of years he will be in a position to knock on the national team door. The onus is clearly on him though. He has to continue his good form in the premier division and rep games (intercity, western u23 and western senior tournaments), stay mentally focused and most importantly, he will need to adopt a rigorous fitness and nutrition regime in line with other national or international athletes so that he can strive to become one of the fittest cricketers in Alberta. If that commitment and dedication to excel can be shown, then in my humble opinion, the sky is the limit for this young man.
Cavaliers usually has a couple of overseas players coming in every year. What do you have in store for this year? What do you think these overseas players bring to the table.
For the past 4-5 years we've developed a tradition in our club to have a couple of overseas players join our premier squad each year and we've been fortunate enough to have some outstanding cricketers from around the world and all-in-all genuinely good guys join us. I think anytime you add a knowledgeable mind into the mix, it generates some fresh ideas, adds that experience and provides a good learning and development opportunity for everyone. The Colts program and even other team's players have benefited from having a quality player or coach around the park to share knowledge and ideas with. In return, these players take back with them a season full of memories and experiences, trips and tours, and make friends for life. A win-win situation.
This year 23-yr-old batsman Andrew Irving returns from Australia to play another season with us along with another Aussie Dave Kearney. We've also had a couple of promising young allrounders migrate from BC and Ontario who will add some flair and excitement to our lineup. We will miss Abe Moore and Matt Beale dearly but look forward to another exciting season with a few new faces who will be keen to leave their mark on the Calgary scene.
Cavaliers II enters the premier division this year. Is the first game against them a statement game for you guys in terms of putting some distance between you and them?
Cavaliers II dominated Division 1 last year and they beat us in a mix-squad BBQ game last summer! They play with a youthful zest and fight hard, so there will be no favours exchanged on the field and we certainly we wont be taking them lightly. There is a bit of a rivalry and bragging rights issue here so will look to get our points from those two games as efficiently as possible. Should be an exciting matchup no doubt!
Are you captaining the side again this year?
After 2 1/2 years on the helm in a transition period, I will be stepping down as Cavaliers I captain this season. I'm really looking forward to just playing as one of the guys, it will give me a chance to really focus more on my batting and wicket-keeping performances and can contribute as and when needed with fresh ideas, experience and managerial skills. Our core players have played together on this team for 5-6 years now and we have several strong candidates amongst this group who are ready to lead this team to the next level. This is going to be a very exciting year for Cavaliers I!
2006 Key Performer
Matthew Beale was the most economical bowler in the league by a wide margin last year, his presence will be missed in 2007
2007 Player to Watch
Shajib Darain needs to have a big year for his club, the city and perhaps the provincial teams to succeed. Lofty expectation for this talented batsmen
The Bottom Line
Its time for the regular core players to step up and produce consistently to finally pick up a Nolan Cup
Canasia
Consistently the most talented group of players to take the field Canasia had a slow start and unlike previous years they were not able to recover and slumped to their worst season in recent memory. At publishing time we were as of yet unable to pin down an interview with Canasia but check back soon for updates.
2006 Key Performer
Amjad Shezhad was awesome last season with 28 wickets
2007 Player to Watch
Amjad has been the key cog in Canasia's machinery for the past few seasons, this should continue into 2007
The Bottom Line
Have to be better out of the gate to have a chance at the title
Crown
A talented crop of youngsters headlines Crown's entry in the 2007 season. They staged an upset of Canasia and were competitive in several of the games they played in 2006. The season again will revolve heavily around the performance of the Abbas brothers but Crown promises to have a few wrinkles in mind heading into May. We talked to club president Wajahat Ali about Crown's prospects for the upcoming season.
You had a very interesting first season in the Premier Division, was it as big a jump from division 1 to premier as you expected?
I wouldn't call it interesting but it was definitely a very thought provoking season. It forced us to re-evaluate the team and look more closely at our weaknesses. In essence we are concentrating more on where our weaknesses are rather than polishing our strengths, we cannot survive in Premier in any other way. Premier division turned out to be a lot more than we had expected, it was no longer a case of just enjoying the cricket, we had to start thinking about winning. But as the season started to progress the team realized that Winning had become a secondary aspect. Survival had become the key. We also had the misfortune of losing a lot of key players during the season, it was a tremendous effort for the Team management to use the very limited resources we had left. The major players missing were Talal & Talha Paracha, Bakir Zaidi, Zaheer Abbas & Neil Pereira. These players are a part of the core players that our strategies usually revolve around. But I cannot stress this further, we are a better team now than we could have ever been had we continued to play in Division I. Our players have matured in ways that I could have never foreseen, in short we are now BATTLE-HARDENED. This was represented by the performances of several of Crown players at the city and provincial levels, where they excelled above
expectations. So I expect a far more competitive season this year
Going into 2007 you are very familiar with your opposition. With this experience now in your pocket, what do you expect as a realistic goal for Crown CC this year?
It's true that we have a better understanding of our apposition now, but it is a far cry from what the Veterans of Premier division know and understand about each other. Cavaliers II is probably the only team that may have a disadvantage there relative to us, but they have the benefit of experience that will have been shared from Cavalier I. We are still very young and inexperienced as far as opposition and the Premier Division is concerned. The fact is that every year teams are in a flux, you see a lot of player movement just before the start of the season so I don't necessarily expect to face the same strengths and weaknesses in each of our opposition but at the same time we keep our eyes and especially our ears open to the Rumors. However the rules and the basics of the game haven't changed, our intention is to stick to the basics and play to our strengths. Expect a far more dangerous Crown this year!
The Abbass brothers figure prominently on both sides of the ball for
Crown, is there any truth to the rumour that all the brothers will be
playing together this year?
Haha I see that I am not the only one who keeps their ears open. Yes there have been rumors I can't deny that what I can confirm is that Crown will essentially remain the same team that it was in Division I & last year……. except for a couple of changes.
Nasir Abbas exploded onto the scene with an MVP season in 2005, he was a
bit quieter last year however, can he regain that form with bat and ball in
2007?
Nasir Abbas is one of the best all-rounders in Crown CC, yes he had a relatively quieter season. But you have to bear in mind that in-spite of it being his first season in Premier, he was able to manage a five-for (against Canasia) and figured 9th in the over-all bowling stats, ahead of the likes of Mathew Beale, Rathan Moorthy, Hylton Osbourne, Aziz Chaudry, etc. The named bowlers are aces in the trade and having ended up ahead of them in his first season is something he should be proud of. I would expect even better performances from him in 2007.
Crown has a team that has been competitive in Division 3 for a couple of years now, do you have any plans to move it into Division 2 in the near future?
The plans have always been there, the mission statement for Crown II is to achieve the level of competitiveness required to play the 50 overs format but at the same time excel at it. At the current moment Crown II comprises of mostly U-16 boys who are willing to learn and put in the hard work required to get them there. The reason behind having Crown II is that young guys who need a medium of progression may be provided that through a promotion system within the team. Unlike many of the other teams Crown II players feature greatly in our plans and we have always encouraged them to play for the Premier Team, as was exhibited last year, where Hamza Tariq and Sudeepta were given their due chances. They didn't disappoint. Therefore, the answer to the question is that yes eventually you will see Crown II part of Division 2 very soon if not this year then definitely very soon.
2006 Key Performer
Nasir Abbas continued his fine form last year
2007 Player to Watch
Yawar Abbas has unlimited potential and should really hit stride this year
The Bottom Line
Have to be better out of the gate to have a chance at the title
Cavaliers II
A confident squad won the Division 1 title in style last year and should provide some upsets this summer. With experience abound and some real talent they will be a team to be reckoned with.
Cavaliers II won division Amid some controversy your team won a huge game at the end of the season to win Division 1. How does an experience like that help you as a team?
Well, after thinking that we had won the season, then to be over ruled, then to win it convincingly shows the character and determination of the team. I think the last game showed us and everyone that we are the real champions and we have what it takes to play in the premier division.
Despite the teams' first year playing in Premier division you have a lot of players, including yourself, that have played with the top clubs in Calgary. How do you relay that experience to some of the newer members of the team? That's true, many of us have played premier division and most of us know it takes lot more to play in the premier division. But our other playing members like our captain Raj have also played good level of cricket elsewhere and know what it takes to compete. For those who dont know too much about Cavaliers II, who are the key players to watch for?
Well, Nadeem Bhai who used play Canasia and St.Johns before has returned from California and is going to be playing with us. His experience will add a lot to our batting and bowling. Besides that we have many members who have played in premier before like Faisal, Ram and Ganesh and will have a lot to prove as they would be given the right opportunities.
How much if any are you going to look for advice and strategy from some of your clubmmates in Cavaliers I Though we come under same umbrella club, we are two different teams and I dont think there would too much strategizing among the two teams.
Obviously that first game against Cavaliers I will be a big deal for your team. Having played for them before do you have mixed feelings about going out to play against them?
Well many of us have played with them and are still good friends with them, but when it comes to playing cricket we want beat them as much as we would want to beat any other team in premier division.
How important is it for Cavaliers II to beat Cavaliers I?
This game would be as important as beating any other team in the division
2007 Player to Watch
Nadeem Sheikh can bowl with fire and hit with power down the order. He has the potential to change the game on his own.
The Bottom Line
Little depth will make it a tough haul but can be picked for a few surprises
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