Hong Kong cricket ‘can go no further’ without facilities, says outgoing coach Simon Cook as senior side aim for ODI boost
- Englishman, who returns to UK in July, says simply putting turf nets in one ground like Mission Road could do wonders for the game
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.