Canadian cricketers trade a maple leaf for an oak leaf

Potchefstroom is well known as a sporting hub for various international sportsmen, but you would be hard pressed to find Canadian cricketers plying their trade in Potch.

That is until now, as a trio of   Canadian u.19 cricketers, Mamik Luthra, Rohan Kundlass and Shlok Patel from Ontario Cricket Academy have switched the cold Canadian weather for some South African sunshine to play for Potch Dorp Cricket Club for the next three months.

Their journey to Potch is part of the high-performance exchange programme between the two countries. The South African and Canadian cricketing ties are quite strong, as former North West Dragons player, Davy Jacobs, is now the head coach of the Ontario Cricket Academy. He was instrumental in bringing the players to South Africa to gain some valuable experience in the strong North West club cricket scene.

‘It has been going well since we arrived. We have settled in nicely at Potch Dorp and the team has welcomed us with open arms. We have only played a couple of matches but we are constantly learning about cricket here and the passion that goes with it,’ said     Luthra, who is an all-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls traditional off spin.

Kundlass and Luthra were both born in India and moved to Canada in their youth. Both enjoyed street cricket before moving on to more serious cricket at a later stage.

‘For me, it has always been in the family. I grew up watching my dad play cricket. When I first moved to Canada, I did not think there was cricket, but I started playing indoor cricket and then represented the u.15 and u.17   teams. I then also played for the Canadian u.19 team at the World Cup,’ said Luthra.

The trio of players are at the Ontario Cricket Academy and Club and are  quite pleased to be able to play cricket outdoors, consistently, until April, as the poor weather affects outdoor training in Canada.

‘The facilities are great here and everyone here is serious about their cricket. The training is a lot more intense,’ adds Kundlass, who is a right-hand top-order batsman.

‘Here, the players have the opportunity to move to the North West Dragons or play for their country at some stage. In Canada, you have fewer opportunities to look forward to in cricket,’ says Luthra. He also made a statement with the ball in the recent T20 Premier League tournament where he took 4 wickets and scored 28* in one of the matches. He also scored a well-earned 20 in the recent Premier League match against Ikageng. ‘It is all about adjusting and making the best of the conditions,’ he says.

One thing they have not yet adjusted to is the student life in Potch.

‘It seems that students in Potchefstroom never sleep. We have been to Bourbon Street and MVG and they just continue partying until early in the morning,’ laughs Luthra. Everyone has been very welcoming in Potch, though, and the closeness of the community here has helped us a lot.’