Hong Kong cricket ‘can go no further’ without facilities, says outgoing coach Simon Cook as senior side aim for ODI boost

Hong Kong cricket is unlikely to progress unless the players are given more facilities, says outgoing head coach Simon Cook – with something as simple as turf nets having the potential to make all the difference.

Cook, who became Hong Kong coach in 2016, is returning to the United Kingdom at the end of July with his family but not before trying to help the side qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 competition.

The 42-year-old Cook will be in charge of the team for the six-team qualifier starting on Saturday in Namibia, where the top four will advance to the second-tier league and are guaranteed at least 36 one-day internationals over 30 months.

“We talk about it all the time and the main issue is facilities,” said Cook. “Not being able to work with players every day on their specific skills and only being able to work in blocks.

“If I am honest, we are not going to go further forward with the access to facilities that we got. We do the best with what we have.

“HKCC [Hong Kong Cricket Club] gives us use of its ground for two sessions a week since January and it has been a godsend but it’s not really enough to make the strides we need to.”

Hong Kong lost their ICC ODI status last year after failing to perform in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe. However, this week’s tournament – the World Cricket League Division 2 competition – gives them a pathway for a return to elite cricket.

They play their first game against Canada on Saturday and also take on Papua New Guinea, Oman, United States and Namibia.

With the T20 version of cricket likely to be included in the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, the Hong Kong Sports Institute may also reopen its doors to local cricketers. Cook, though, says institute funding is not enough for overall development.

“The Institute won’t help in terms of facilities,” he said. “It will add a little bit more money for the players to make them more comfortable and play with more freedom, they will have nice gyms and sports medicine services but it doesn’t come with any cricket facilities.”

When asked how Hong Kong could maximise existing facilities, he said: “A real possibility is having more control of a ground like Mission Road [in Kowloon] where we can put some turf nets on one side of the ground.

“It’s a big enough space and then you can actually get a high-performance centre going. It definitely has the potential to be a game-changer.”

While cricket in Hong Kong struggles for space, the city’s confines are also a factor in Cook’s decision to return to Canterbury – where he played cricket before arriving in Hong Kong in 2013.

“I arrived in Hong Kong with just myself and my wife,” he said. “Since then we’ve had two boys, four and two, and with schooling, cost of living, cost of rent, access to open space, it means it really lends itself to us moving back to the UK.”