HONGKONG'S leading cricketers head for Thailand today with much more at stake than winning the four-team Southeast Asia tournament for the Tuanku Ja'Afar Cup.
For the countdown is underway to the International Cricket Council Trophy in Kenya next February and March, when Hongkong will be one of 20 non-Test playing nations bidding for one of three places in the 1995 World Cup limited overs competition in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.
Hongkong will have a 13-man squad in Bangkok for three matches in three days and all the players are eligible to represent the territory in Kenya under the ICC's four-year residency rule.
And Hongkong captain Pat Fordham believes that as many as 10 places are still up for grabs in the 16-strong squad for Kenya.
Said Fordham: ''At the moment I would say there are only six players, possibly seven, guaranteed a place in the squad for Kenya.
''That leaves 10 places open and this is where people can start to stake their claim. There are so many good players about the competition will be very strong.'' Twelve of Hongkong's 13 players leave today and will be joined on Friday by Ross Greer, who must delay his departure by a couple of days to play for Eastern in a Hongkong First Division football match against Kui Tan at Mongkok Stadium tomorrow.