Hong Kong cricketers start year with Malaysia clash, team close to finding ‘missing pieces of puzzle’ coach says
- Hong Kong host Malaysia and Canada this week in one-day international series, with several new faces in the squad
- Head coach Simon Willis believes his side aren’t far away from being able to take next step up
Hong Kong’s men get their international cricket season under way on Wednesday, with head coach Simon Willis believing his side are not far away from finding “the missing pieces of the puzzle”.
Over the past 12 months, regional rivals Nepal and Oman have stood between Hong Kong and major tournaments, and will do so again during a busy 2024 that includes Asian Cup and T20 World Cup qualifiers, and the start of the One Day World Cup Challenge League.
Willis’ side came off worst in most of those encounters in 2023, making their ODI tri-series at home against Malaysia and Canada this week ideal preparation for what lies ahead.
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The selectors have named a squad that includes faces old and new, and it could well be the likes of Ehsan Nawaz, who returns after a six-year absence, Raunaq Kapur, and debutant Daniyal Bukhari provide that extra spark.
“We’ve got a lot of things in place that are very good,” Willis said. “We just think [we need] those last pieces to help us get to the next level and improve our status in world cricket.
“I think that’s the encouraging factor, is even playing Nepal, who are a decent side, we know we’re not far away. With a little bit more skill, with a little bit more discipline, there’s no reason why we can’t beat the likes of Nepal and Oman going forward.”
Nawaz’s reintroduction to the international set-up after life “took him in a different direction” is expected to add a bit more bite to a front-line bowling attack that struggled to impose itself on occasion.
With opening bowlers Aizaz Khan and Ayush Shukla also in the 16-strong squad, Willis said there was plenty of excitement among the team.
“Ehsan Nawaz is someone that was in the system previously and has shown a new appetite to get back involved,” Willis said. “He gives us an option from a seam bowling point of view which we’re all excited to see, because he’s obviously someone that’s got the talent.”
Wicketkeeper Bukhari has been impressing in local cricket and will give Zeeshan Ali some competition for a place behind the stumps, while Dan Pascoe also returns to the side.
Both had “fully deserved” their inclusion, Willis said, while Hong Kong captain Nizakat Khan welcomed the addition of new faces to a squad that now had plenty of experience under its collective belt.
“This is how we keep ourselves on our toes to ensure we perform to keep our spots in the team,” Khan said.
Kapur is another player who comes back into the squad after last playing against Kenya in a Challenge League game in 2019, and Willis said the spinner’s performances in domestic cricket in New Zealand, where the teenager has been based for several years, had been “really encouraging to see”.
While Kapur is only available for the tri-series, there is plenty of cricket ahead for the rest of the squad, with Hong Kong and Malaysia playing three one-day matches next week, and the city then hosting the men’s East Asia Cup, featuring China and Japan just after Lunar New Year.
“It’s exciting to have a tour after a few months, and the boys are really looking forward to playing 50 over cricket, as it’s been a long time since we played that at national level,” Willis said.
Hong Kong squad: Nizakat Khan (capt), Yasim Murtaza (vice-capt), Adit Gorawara, Aizaz Khan, Anshuman Rath, Ayush Shukla, Babar Hayat, Dan Pascoe, Daniyal Bukhari, Ehsan Khan, Ehsan Nawaz, Haroon Arshad, Martin Coetzee, Nasrulla Rana, Raunaq Kapu, Zeeshan Ali.
